East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster shortlisted for regional business award

EMCSC

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East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster has been shortlisted in the Leicestershire Business Awards 2026.

Its CyberGrowth programme is a finalist in the Education and Business Partnership category of the awards, which are run by East Midlands Chamber.

EMCSC is currently working with De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) to deliver CyberGrowth, a £150,000 Innovate UK-funded project aimed at building cyber security skills in local firms.

CyberGrowth offers places for 30 businesses wanting to gain hands-on support needed to strengthen their digital defences and better protect
their customers’ data.

It is the second of two Innovate UK-funded programmes to be delivered by EMCSC.

The first, CyberSprint, saw cyber skills education embedded into 93 local schools and colleges, reaching more than 1,000 pupils. It also involved work-based learning programmes being co-designed with local employers.

Meanwhile, Dr Ismini Vasileiou, director of East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster and Associate Professor in Computer Science at DMU, is also working to influence national policy on cyber skills.

Her white paper, written with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cyber Innovation, launches in Westminster today and calls for a more joined-up skills approach. Dr Vasileiou also contributed to discussions at this year’s Labour Party Conference.

She said: ‘It is a real honour for EMCSC and DMU to be shortlisted for their work on CyberGrowth.

‘We want to make cyber resilience second nature to SMEs, in the same way as they think of health and safety.

‘As a region, the East Midlands urgently needs practical, localised cyber support to protect its businesses and sustain economic growth.

‘CyberGrowth achieves that by turning national Government ambitions into local action – and it’s equipping East Midlands businesses with the tools and knowhow they need to become more digitally secure.’

The Leicestershire Business Awards celebrate organisations and individuals driving innovation and growth across the region. Winners will be announced early next year.

DMU’s Research, Business and Innovation (RBI) team said Dr Vasileiou’s leadership is strengthening both the region’s economy and its digital resilience.

Helen Donnellan, director of RBI, said: “Ismini’s work is a brilliant example of knowledge exchange in action.

“She’s translating research into real-world impact and helping SMEs understand their vulnerabilities, train their staff, and put practical measures in place to reduce risk.

“This is exactly what universities should be doing: empowering businesses with the tools and confidence to grow securely in a digital world.”

• The CyberGrowth Incubator starts on 4 November. There are a small number of places still available. The CyberGrowth Accelerator launches on 25 November, with more than half of places already reserved. Book here.