Europe is at a critical juncture: AI is expected to boost innovation, productivity, and competitiveness. At the same time, new vulnerabilities and dependencies on platforms, cloud infrastructures, data spaces, and AI models are emerging. The central challenge is therefore:

How can Europe accelerate innovation while ensuring security, resilience, and digital sovereignty?

Cybersecurity is becoming the unifying discipline between:

• AI innovation
• digital sovereignty
• resilient infrastructures, and
• trustworthy digital ecosystems

It is precisely at this intersection that opportunities arise for startups, research institutions, and SMEs, along with the need for international cooperation.

Participating in EEN@it-sa 2026 will give you insight into the discourse on current challenges and trends in IT and cybersecurity, combined with opportunities for international networking.

EEN@it-sa 2026 will bring together innovative companies, startups, research institutions, and cybersecurity stakeholders from across Europe on October 26 and 27, 2026, in Nuremberg.
Organized by EEN in collaboration with Bayern Innovativ, the event combines expert insights on cybersecurity, AI, digital sovereignty, and innovation with targeted international networking. On the eve of the trade show, participants can look forward to an exclusive networking and pitching session featuring keynote speeches on current European developments and challenges in the cybersecurity landscape.
On the second day, the program features a joint visit to the it-sa Expo&Congress, including selected stops, insights into innovation, and diverse opportunities to exchange ideas with international companies, research institutions, and organizations.

The goal of the event is to initiate new collaborations, innovation projects, and research and business partnerships within the European cybersecurity ecosystem.

• October 26, 2026: EEN@it-sa Pre-Event Networking: Welcome with a thematic introduction, pitches by participating companies, and networking at the Bayern Innovativ offices (4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.)
• October 27, 2026: Guided tour of the it-sa trade show, including a visit to the Bayern Innovativ joint booth at it-sa 2026 and other stops (program approx. 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)
• October 27, 2026: EEN@it-sa networking dinner ( at participants’ own expense) (7:00 PM)

October 26, 2026: Pre-event networking EEN@it-sa

The detailed program for the guided trade show tour, as well as the restaurant where the networking dinner will take place, will be emailed to registered participants.

To Register

To participatein the pitching and matchmaking sessions, you must submit a cooperation profile.

Cooperation Profile Form

Once we receive your registration, you will receive a confirmation via email. A substitute for the registered participant may be arranged upon prior agreement.

If you choose the EEN@it-sa pre-event networking option with your own pitch, please email us the completed collaboration profile template (PDF or PPTX) by October 14, 2026, at the latest. One person per company or organization may deliver a 60- to 90-second pitch in English outlining the organization’s collaboration interests. The completed collaboration profile will be made available to participants in the form of a catalog and displayed in the background during the pitches.

For the “Guided Trade Show Tour EEN@it-sa” option , which includes a trade show ticket, we will provide you with ticket information well in advance of the event (subject to availability).

Thanks to funding from the European Commission and regional co-financing, most of the Enterprise Europe Network’s (EEN) offerings and services are free of charge for you. This project received financial support under the European Union’s “Internal Market Program” under grant agreement number 101212720 – Enterprise Europe Network/Bayern/Bavaria2Europe.