Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C)

Summary

France and Slovenia, in partnership with Montenegro, have established a regional-scale training centre in Podgorica, with a European and strategic ambition. The WB3C is operating at the premises of the Science and Technology Park in Podgorica, offering training for professionals in cybersecurity, the fight against cybercrime and cyber diplomacy. The Centre was officially inaugurated on 9th December 2024 and is in the process of becoming an international organisation.

Details

Aim

France and Slovenia aim to prioritize local expertise by integrating regional experts into the training courses alongside French and Slovenian specialists and by enhancing collaboration between universities to develop cyber curricula. Supporting the Western Balkans countries through increased cooperation and training will address key regional challenges in cybersecurity and cybercrime and enable their active involvement in cyber diplomacy. The Train-the-Trainer (ToT) approach, fostering a regional cyber community and the empowerment of the tertiary education system are the WB3C’s tool-box for achieving a sustainable impact. The governance structure of the WB3C facilitates regional ownership of the centre and supports collaboration with EU member states as well as other kindred initiatives.

The Centre’s three main objectives are:

• Disseminating cyber culture through education and awareness.
• Strengthening operational capacities.
• Promoting regional and international cooperation.

Activities

In 2025, the centre will conduct over 30 weeks of training in cybersecurity, the fight against cybercrime and cyber diplomacy.
These programmes will benefit civil servants from the six Western Balkans countries, including representatives from government and national CERTs, cybersecurity agencies, police forces, prosecutors and judicial institutions, diplomacy and information security officers from other critical infrastructure sectors.

Additionally, WB3C has introduced a one-year Digital Forensics course for police investigators, developed in partnership with the University of Technology of Troyes. This specialized training in digital evidence collection and analysis leads to a recognized qualification, enhancing law enforcement’s capacity to combat cybercrime, fostering local expertise, and strengthening the EU’s collective cybersecurity resilience.