From everyday collaboration to high-level visits: CHESS highlights Czech–Estonian cybersecurity
The CHESS project played an important role during the state visit of the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, to Estonia.
As an established platform connecting partners across Estonia and South Moravia, CHESS served as a concrete example of long-term cross-border cooperation in cybersecurity. The visit brought this cooperation into focus and highlighted its broader relevance for research and innovation between the two countries.
As part of the programme, a business delegation meeting took place at the University of Tartu Institute of Computer Science. CHESS partners from Cybernetica and the University of Tartu facilitated the meeting between Czech and Estonian cybersecurity stakeholders, creating a space for discussion of ongoing activities and future collaboration.
Particular attention was given to CHESS and its follow-up initiatives, including SECURE-NET, CCAT, and QARC, which together contribute to strengthening digital resilience and advancing key areas of cybersecurity. These projects reflect the broader strategic importance of cooperation between the Czech Republic and Estonia, both countries facing similar challenges due to their positions within the EU and NATO and the evolving cybersecurity landscape.
The visit also included a reception attended by both the Czech and Estonian Presidents, where members of the CHESS community had the opportunity to meet representatives of both countries. The informal atmosphere allowed for conversations beyond the formal programme.
A significant part of the visit was the signing of a strategic partnership agreement between Masaryk University and the University of Tartu. The agreement, signed by Rector Martin Bareš and Rector Toomas Asser in the presence of both Presidents, strengthens cooperation in research, education, mobility, and technology transfer. The CHESS project was highlighted as one of the successful examples on which this partnership builds.
The agreement reflects long-standing collaboration between the two institutions, including joint research projects in cybersecurity and other fields, shared publications, and academic mobility. It provides a clear framework for further development of joint activities and reinforces the role of cybersecurity as a key area of cooperation.
Overall, the visit highlighted how ongoing projects such as CHESS contribute to building practical links between research, industry, and the public sector, and support further joint work between the two countries.
