Cyber-Defence Campus

What Cyber-Defence Campus does

The Cyber-Defence Campus (CYD Campus) is a Swiss federal government research institution established in 2019 as a division within armasuisse Wissenschaft und Technologie (W+T), itself part of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS). Headquartered in Thun with additional sites in Zurich and Lausanne, the campus operates as the statutory bridge between Swiss defence authorities, academia, and industry for cyber defence research, development, and training. Its mandate encompasses cyber trend monitoring, technology assessment, vulnerability research, and cyber talent development in service of the National Cyber Strategy.

The organization's core technology portfolio spans federated learning (NEBULA platform developed with EPFL for decentralized military data processing), next-generation networking (SCION route-controlled internet architecture), quantum computing security assessment, operational technology security testing (Cyber Avionics Lab in Thun and a pumped-storage power station test facility), and applied AI products including the NJÖRD analysis tool developed with KISI for the Swiss Armed Forces and the Fit-on-Duty wearable health monitoring system. It also runs research programmes in Cyberspace and Cyber & Intelligence Analytics, producing 30+ scientific papers and 50+ projects annually, with notable outputs including TCAS II collision warning system vulnerabilities disclosed in coordination with CISA and the FAA.

CYD Campus is funded through the DDPS budget and National Cyber Strategy measures rather than commercial revenue. Its go-to-market is institutionally embedded: services are commissioned directly by DDPS agencies, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the Swiss Armed Forces, the Federal Office of Justice, cantonal authorities, and critical infrastructure operators. Talent and innovation pipelines are operated through the CYD Fellowship and CYD Proof of Concept Fellowship programs at ETH Zurich, EPFL, and other Swiss universities, supplemented by the annual Cyber Start-up Challenge that awards feasibility study contracts to winning startups. The organization serves 60+ partner organizations across the Swiss cyber ecosystem and participates in international cooperation through NATO's Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE).

Name

Cyber-Defence Campus

Legal name

Cyber-Defence Campus, armasuisse Wissenschaft und Technologie (Federal Office for Defence Procurement)

Website

https://cydcampus.admin.ch

Company type

Public

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cyber-Defence Campus is a Swiss federal government research institution within armasuisse, established in 2019 to bridge the DDPS, industry, and academia through cyber defence research, technology assessment, and talent development. It operates from Thun, Zurich, and Lausanne serving Swiss defence, federal, and critical infrastructure stakeholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Cyber Defence Research

NAICS

Computer Training (61142), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Military Schools (Aviation, Naval, Cyber, Intelligence, Medical) (EDAHAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Defense Universities & Joint Professional Military Education (PME) (EDAHAOAB), Military Graduate & Postgraduate Institutions (STEM/Defense Research) (EDAHAOAE), Cybersecurity (EDAAAPAC)

Keywords

• Cyber defence research
• Government research institution
• Cyber training programs
• Cyber talent fellowships
• Cyber threat monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Thun

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government-funded research: CYD Campus operates as part of armasuisse Wissenschaft und Technologie (W+T), the Federal Office for Defence Procurement, funded through the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) budget. Research activities are commissioned through National Cyber Strategy (NCS) measures and direct government procurement.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Cyber-Defence Campus (CYD Campus) is a Swiss federal government research institution within armasuisse Wissenschaft und Technologie that conducts cyber defence research, innovation, and training. It links the DDPS, industry, and academia through research programs, cyber training and crisis simulation exercises, fellowship programs for researchers, technology monitoring, and innovation initiatives like the Cyber Start-up Challenge. Its offerings include AI-based tools (NJÖRD), distributed learning platforms (NEBULA), soldier health monitoring systems (Fit-on-Duty), and specialized test facilities such as the Cyber Avionics Lab.

Product overview

The Cyber-Defence Campus (CYD Campus) is a Swiss government research institution under armasuisse Science and Technology, established in 2019 as part of Switzerland's National Cyber Strategy. Rather than a commercial product company, it functions as a national cyber defense hub connecting the DDPS, industry, and academia through research, innovation, and training programs. The organization's offerings span research programs (Cyberspace, Cyber & Intelligence Analytics), technology platforms (NEBULA federated learning, Cyber Avionics Lab), talent development (CYD Fellowship and Proof of Concept Fellowship programs), innovation initiatives (Cyber Start-up Challenge), event programs (annual CYD Campus Conference), and training services (Cyber Training @ Cyber-Defence Campus). Key AI-driven projects include NJÖRD for accelerated analysis, Fit-on-Duty for soldier health monitoring, and various security research initiatives spanning TCAS aviation vulnerabilities, tire pressure sensor tracking, synthetic image detection, and quantum computing experiments. The campus maintains three locations in Thun, Zurich, and Lausanne connected via SCION network technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cyber Training @ Cyber-Defence Campus A national cyber training program providing technical and strategic exercises for federal and cantonal authorities, police units, and critical infrastructure operators, including crisis simulations and hackathons on topics like Industrial Control Systems, car security, and smart buildings.
• NEBULA Platform A distributed federated learning platform developed with technical universities that enables decentralized AI model training without centralizing data, ensuring confidentiality and minimizing transmission costs for military applications.
• NJÖRD An AI tool developed with the Competence Centre Artificial Intelligence and Simulation (KISI) for the Swiss Armed Forces that dramatically accelerates analysis processes that previously took several days.
• CYD Fellowship Program Fellowship opportunities for Master's students, doctoral candidates, and postdocs to conduct research at CYD Campus locations in Zurich, Lausanne, or Thun, bridging academic research and practical application in cyber defence.
• CYD Proof of Concept Fellowship A 12-18 month fellowship supporting young talents in developing and validating proof-of-concept prototypes of innovative technologies for cyber defense, with financial resources, technical support, and expert network access.
• Cyber Start-up Challenge Annual competition promoting innovative start-ups and technologies in cyber security, awarding winners opportunities to demonstrate solutions with the DDPS in feasibility studies. Topics have included smartphone app security, AI security, and graph analytics.
• Research Programme: Cyberspace Research program examining cyber technologies, threats, and defense mechanisms across various domains including cryptography, network security, and emerging technologies.
• Research Programme: Cyber & Intelligence Analytics Research program focused on intelligence-based data analysis, developing methods for analyzing signals, languages, images, and video data for cyber defense applications.
• Technology Monitoring Team Service Dedicated team analyzing trends, risks, and dependencies of digital technologies for Switzerland, using big data and AI for quantitative technology monitoring and international scouting.
• Cyber Avionics Lab Specialized laboratory in Thun for investigating cyberattacks on certified aviation systems including ADS-B, MLAT, CDPLC, GPS, and TCAS II collision avoidance systems.
• Cyber Data Technologies (CDT) Team Services Team providing feasibility studies, technology evaluations, Big Data architecture development, and AI methods for cyber data analysis supporting federal administration and defense organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60 partner organizations collaborating on cyber defence research
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability12 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Federal Office of Justice (BJ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026Collaborative research on Swiss electronic identity (e-ID) security from 2026-2029. Focus on unlinkability, Zero-Knowledge-Proofs, Post-Quantum Cryptography. CYD Fellowship program bridges academic research to e-ID security solutions.
• Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (FHNW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2026Joint research project on AI-generated image detection and synthetic content analysis. Collaboration on Structured Analysis of AI-generated Images technology. FHNW received award for contributions to emerging AI technology analysis.
• International Research Partners (IMDEA Networks)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaborative research on Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) privacy risks with international partners including IMDEA Networks. Study on vehicle tracking vulnerabilities using low-cost spectrum receivers capturing over 6 million RDKS messages.
• Haute École d'Ingénierie et de Gestion du Canton de Vaud (HEIG-VD)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Research partner in 'Quantum-Resilient Swiss e-ID' project analyzing e-ID technology stack and developing quantum-safe e-ID architecture demonstrator.
• University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2024Joint study on threats and impacts of generative AI on cyber security. Collaboration on LLM research with Effixis SA, EPFL, HEC Lausanne. HES-SO Valais contributes to cyber security research landscape mapping.
• Italian Research InstitutionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2024Collaborative research with Italian researchers on TCAS II collision warning system vulnerabilities. Joint paper presented at USENIX Security Conference. Results confirmed by CISA and FAA as moderate and severe vulnerabilities.
• NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024International cooperation through CYD Campus expert placement at CCDCOE in Tallinn, Estonia. Participation in Locked Shields exercises and CyCon conferences. Dr Mart Noorma from CCDCOE spoke at 2024 CYD Campus Conference.
• National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Close cooperation on national technology monitoring for cyber security. CYD Campus provides technological early clarification and workable proposals to NCSC. NCSC performs CVE numbering authority function for Switzerland.
• Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2023Annual ICS (Industrial Control Systems) hackathons on energy systems forensics. HSLU provides Krinflab simulating Swiss traction substation. Joint cyber training development and forensic methodology research for critical infrastructure protection.
• Cyber Battalion 42minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Swiss Armed Forces cyber battalion participating in ICS hackathons and collaborative vulnerability research on industrial control systems.
• École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2023Joint CYD Proof of Concept Fellowship program and CYD Fellowship program hosting graduate and postgraduate researchers. EPFL hosts one of three CYD Campus locations. Collaborative research on distributed learning (NEBULA platform) and AI security.
• Noser EngineeringcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023AI platform development for object recognition in Swiss Armed Forces smartphone sensor project. Collaboration on secure communication with Threema via SCION network. Received innovation award for 'Smartphone as a Sensor and Secure Operations'.
• ETH ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2022Zurich office co-located with ETH Zurich. Joint SCION network research, Exeon Analytics spin-off collaboration, NEBULA distributed learning platform development, and machine learning for social instability early-warning development. ETH professors received SCION development award at 5th anniversary.
• Exeon AnalyticscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2016ETH Zurich spin-off originating from CYD Campus research. Exeon Trace NDR platform deployed in Swiss Federal Administration for network security monitoring. Joint methodology development for malware detection via HTTP networks published at DIMVA conference.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA): EU agency headquartered in Athens that supports member states with cyber security capability building, training exercises, and threat analysis. Comparable to CYD Campus as a publicly funded cyber security coordinator operating across a multi-country mandate (Europe vs. Switzerland).
• UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC): UK government cyber security authority part of GCHQ. Peer to CYD Campus on national threat monitoring, vulnerability coordination, and critical infrastructure protection; operates at a larger scale but shares the mandate of bridging government, academia, and industry on cyber defence.
• Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI Germany): Germany's federal cyber security authority. Comparable to CYD Campus as a national-government body that commissions R&D, conducts threat monitoring, and coordinates critical infrastructure cyber defence, though BSI is a regulator whereas CYD Campus is a research operator.
• Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d'information (ANSSI France): France's national cyber security agency under the SGDSN. ANSSI is a strong peer: a national-government cyber authority performing threat detection, training, and R&D oversight, similar in mandate to CYD Campus though operating at a larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• MITRE Corporation: US Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) operating national-security FFRDCs. Peer to CYD Campus as a defence/government-sponsored research organisation producing cyber threat intelligence (ATT&CK), but MITRE operates across many domains whereas CYD Campus is cyber-specialised.
• SANS Institute: Global cyber security training and certification organisation. Comparable to CYD Campus in delivering cyber training to government and critical-infrastructure audiences; broader commercial and global footprint than CYD Campus, which is more research-focused.

Direct peers

• NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE): NATO-accredited cyber defence research and training hub in Tallinn, Estonia. CCDCOE is a direct peer to CYD Campus: both are government-mandated cyber-defence research institutions running Locked Shields exercises, hosting fellowships, and producing cyber threat intelligence for national and alliance-level defence.
• ETH Zurich Center for Security Studies (CSS): ETH Zurich research centre focused on security policy and cyber risks. CYD Campus co-locates at ETH Zurich and co-develops projects (SCION, NEBULA, Exeon spin-off); CSS is a direct academic peer in cyber security research and a strategic partner.
• CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security: German national large-scale research centre for information security (Helmholtz Association). Comparable to CYD Campus as a federally funded cyber-security research institution combining PhD/Postdoc training, industry collaboration, and start-up incubation (CISPA's QuantPi emerged as a CYD Campus Cyber Start-up Challenge finalist).
• CERT-EU (Computer Emergency Response Team for EU Institutions): Cyber emergency response team serving EU institutions. Direct operational peer to CYD Campus's threat-monitoring and vulnerability-coordination mandate (analogous to CYD Campus's NCSC partnership), though scoped to EU institutional customers rather than national defence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/cyber-defence-campus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cyber-defence-campus
• Xx.com/cydcampus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cyber-Defence Campus