Ferm

What Ferm does

Ferm is referenced in the input data under two materially different descriptions that cannot be reconciled from the sources provided. The firmographics block describes Ferm as a Belgian non-profit organization founded in 1911, headquartered in Wijgmaal, with 5,001-10,000 employees, providing household help, maternity care, childcare, and home care services via the website samenferm.be. The remaining data blocks describe Ferm Seaports, a Dutch collaborative cybersecurity initiative operating under the Joint Cyber Strategy for Dutch Seaports. Ferm Seaports connects approximately 80 organizations across five major Dutch ports and the 1,000+ companies operating within them, enabling structured coordination and intelligence sharing to manage maritime cyber risks collectively. Its operational throughput, per disclosed data, is approximately 15 vulnerable systems identified and 2 urgent security advisories issued per week. The initiative is government-coordinated rather than commercially owned, generates no disclosed revenue, and is positioned via World Economic Forum analysis as a case study for ecosystem-level cyber defense that may be replicable across European and global port networks as industrial clusters digitize.

Because the analytical fields below require a coherent revenue and growth interpretation, this report treats Ferm Seaports as the primary subject (where the substantive operational, product, and partnership data resides) while flagging the firmographic conflict. No first-party source unambiguously identifies both entities as the same legal or operational organization, so all conclusions should be read with that unresolved data conflict in mind.

Name

Ferm

Legal name

Ferm

Website

https://samenferm.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Ferm Seaports is a Dutch government-coordinated cybersecurity initiative under the Joint Cyber Strategy for Dutch Seaports, connecting approximately 80 organizations across five major Dutch ports and 1,000+ companies to share threat intelligence and coordinate collective maritime cyber defense.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wijgmaal

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Ferm operates a collaborative cybersecurity coordination platform for Dutch seaports under the Joint Cyber Strategy for Dutch Seaports. The initiative connects five major Dutch ports and over 1,000 companies operating within them, linking approximately 80 organizations for structured intelligence sharing, vulnerability identification (averaging 15 vulnerable systems per week), and issuance of urgent security advisories (approximately 2 per week) to manage cyber risks collectively.

Product overview

Ferm Seaports is a collaborative cybersecurity initiative and coordination platform for Dutch seaports. Established under the Joint Cyber Strategy for Dutch Seaports, it brings together five major Dutch ports and over 1,000 companies through structured coordination and intelligence sharing to manage cyber risks collectively. The platform connects approximately 80 organizations, identifies an average of 15 vulnerable systems per week, and issues approximately two urgent security advisories per week.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ferm Seaports A Dutch collaborative cybersecurity initiative and coordination platform established under the Joint Cyber Strategy for Dutch Seaports, facilitating collaboration on cybersecurity across five major Dutch ports and over 1,000 companies operating within them. It connects approximately 80 organizations, identifies vulnerable systems on a weekly basis, and issues urgent security advisories to coordinate collective cyber defense across the maritime ecosystem.

Quantifiable outcome

• 103% increase in maritime cyber incidents in 2025 highlights the critical need for and value of collaborative defense initiatives
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Joint Cyber Strategy for Dutch SeaportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFerm Seaports was established under the Joint Cyber Strategy for Dutch Seaports, a strategic framework bringing together five major Dutch ports and over 1,000 companies to facilitate collaboration on cybersecurity rather than competition.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Nozomi Networks: Specialist vendor in OT and ICS network visibility and threat detection, with maritime and port deployments. Comparable underlying technology stack (OT monitoring, vulnerability identification) used in port environments.
• Claroty: Provider of OT/ICS cybersecurity for critical infrastructure including ports and terminals. Closely comparable target market and core capability (industrial control system protection), though broader than ports alone.
• NCC Group / Fox-IT: Global cybersecurity services firm with a strong Dutch/European footprint that delivers managed detection, incident response, and OT assurance to critical infrastructure including ports. Comparable operational layer to Ferm.
• DNV (Cyber Secure class notation): Large classification society offering cyber security services and certifications to maritime and port operators, including incident response and advisory. Overlapping capability area (maritime cyber assurance) with deeper commercial reach.
• ABS Group (CyberSafety): Advisory and certification arm of ABS delivering cyber safety services for marine and offshore assets, including port facilities. Comparable in serving port and maritime clients on cybersecurity risk.

Direct peers

• Naval Dome: Provider of maritime and offshore OT cybersecurity solutions, including port and vessel protection. Closely aligned with Ferm's focus on operational technology defense in port/terminal environments.
• Port of Rotterdam (digital initiatives): One of the five Dutch ports participating in Ferm Seaports; runs its own digital and cyber resilience programs at the operator level. Directly comparable ecosystem participant and likely highest-scale single node in the network.
• Cydome: Commercial maritime cybersecurity vendor focused on OT/IT protection for shipping fleets and ports. Directly comparable product category and customer set to Ferm Seaports, but operating as a paid vendor rather than a collaborative initiative.

Emerging players

• Maritime and Port Security ISAC equivalents (e.g., A-ISAC): Information sharing and analysis centers serving maritime and transport sectors. Functionally analogous to Ferm Seaports (intelligence sharing, coordinated defense) but outside the Dutch port consortium.

Others

• IoT/OT Security consortiums (e.g., ISA/IEC 62443 ecosystem players): Standards bodies and consortia (e.g., ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance) defining OT cybersecurity frameworks applicable to ports. Adjacent enabling ecosystem that defines the standards against which Ferm's intelligence outputs are mapped.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SamenFerm
• Facebookfacebook.com/SamenFerm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/samenferm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ferm