Opening by Jan van Zanen of the ONE conference 2025 at the World Forum, 30  September 2025

Dear all,

Good morning,

It’s good to see that the ONE Conference has once again mobilized so many people in the field of cybersecurity. I am told there are over 1500 participants. Professionals working in public and private organizations, knowledge institutions, and young cyber talent eager to contribute to cybersecurity.

My name is Jan van Zanen, Mayor of The Hague, international city of peace, justice and security. Public safety and security form an important part of my portfolio as mayor.

October is European cybersecurity month. The Hague has its own Cybersecurity Week: a week with various events. Today, I have the pleasure of opening the ONE Conference, the cyber security event of the Netherlands. An event where experts, policymakers, business owners and students can meet each other in and around the main programme, the expo, the talent hub, and the side events.

The importance of cybersecurity can hardly be overstated these days. We are facing great geopolitical tension and even war on the border of Europe. War that is fought not only on the battlefield, but also in cyberspace. So if we are all connected, as the motto of the conference goes, we need to connect more closely and bring together all our talent and technology for serious innovation in the field of cybersecurity.

The Hague is a logical place for a meeting of this kind. Last year, we celebrated The Hague’s 125 year anniversary as the city of peace and justice. In June this year, we hosted the 2025 NATO summit, right here in this venue, the biggest security event ever held in the Netherlands. We are very proud that it ran so smoothly.

We are also the home of international institutions, surrounded by an extensive network of businesses and organizations. Furthermore – and actually first of all – The Hague is the nation’s seat of Parliament and the centre of government.

This unique collection of organizations and institutions raises security issues. So it is no coincidence that one of the strongest ecosystems of organizations and businesses in the field of cybersecurity in Europe has emerged here. We call it The Hague Security Delta, with its physical seat at the HSD Campus.

The urgency of the security and cybersecurity issues is something we also experience at our local level. Whether it is a matter of ensuring the safety of politicians and officials, or safeguarding the balance between the freedom to demonstrate and the rights of others. The Hague Cybersecurity Agenda (Agenda Digitaal Veilig Den Haag) provides me with tools to manage The Hague’s unique risk profile. It also helps me to deal with the threat of cyberattacks around essential processes, such as the water supply, electricity and healthcare.

The Hague is also a city of non-governmental organizations, businesses and residents who must learn to deal with the opportunities and threats brought by digitalization. As a city we launched a cybersecurity program for NGOs. We help businesses improve their websites to generate more business and to be resilient against phishing and online fraud. We offer courses for our commercial sector, as well as in local community centres, to increase cyber awareness among our residents.

We are proud of The Security Delta. Our unique network that brings together knowledge and innovation in the field of cybersecurity. Private and public organizations work here to protect the digital world. An innovative network in an encouraging environment thanks to the presence of Leiden University, Delft University of Technology, and many other educational institutions where tomorrow’s developers and security experts are now being trained.

We also gain from the presence of NATO bodies as well as Europol and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). This leads me to express our gratitude for the great collaboration with the NCSC and the Ministry of Economic Affairs on this ONE Conference.

Three more things I’d like to mention. First the talent hub here at the ONE Conference. A unique opportunity to connect talented young people and talent organizations with the companies and institutions present here. And then there is the Expo, titled ‘Meet the Startups’, where about 30 startups are present. Be there and engage.

One last remark: to make innovation and connection in cybersecurity happen, there is more needed than talent and technology. We need investors as well. So for the first time the ONE Conference has a Capital Area. Here, four organizations, public and private, inform you about opportunities to invest in cybersecurity.

I wish you all a fruitful conference.