Ireland Hosts EU Cyber Week 2026 with High-Level Conference on Security, AI, and Digital Sovereignty
Ireland's EU Presidency showcased cybersecurity priorities across formal and informal EU meetings, with the centrepiece Presidency Cyber Security Conference held at Convention Centre Dublin on 7 October.
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Cyber Week 2026: Ireland’s EU Presidency Showcase
Ireland hosted Cyber Week from 5–9 October 2026 as part of its Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The event brought together formal and informal EU meetings of a variety of regulatory and operational groups to address Europe’s most pressing digital challenges.
The centrepiece was the Presidency Cyber Security Conference, held at Convention Centre Dublin on Wednesday 7 October 2026. Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan opened the conference, while Minister of State Catherine Ardagh provided closing remarks.
Presidency Themes: Competitiveness, Values, and Security
The Cyber Security Conference theme was aligned with Ireland’s three Presidency themes: Competitiveness, Values, and Security. Conference sessions explored regulation, building capability, protecting privacy, cyber diplomacy responsibilities with AI, cybercrime and hybrid threats, and digital sovereignty.
The Cyber Expo ran alongside the conference programme in the Forum at Convention Centre Dublin, providing a practical platform for stakeholders to engage with cybersecurity solutions and expertise.
Supporting Regulatory Developments
Ireland’s broader digital agenda during this period included the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026, which creates an independent AI Office and enforcement framework for the EU AI Act. From August 2, 2026, EU citizens must be informed when interacting with AI systems, under EU AI Act transparency obligations—a key topic reflected in the conference’s discussions on cyber diplomacy and AI governance.
Additionally, Ireland launched its first stand-alone Digital Mental Health Strategy 2026–2030 with €1M in funding, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to digital wellbeing across public health and cybersecurity domains.
Source: Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union