Bochum, 5 February 2026 – With a ceremonial event at the Jahrhunderthalle Bochum, the Cluster of Excellence CASA – Securing the Digital Society – based at the Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security at the Faculty of Computer Science at Ruhr University Bochum celebrated the start of its second funding phase. Around 230 invited guests from academia, industry and politics attended the event, including Ina Brandes, Minister for Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. The event was hosted by journalist Eva Wolfangel.
In May 2025, the German Research Foundation (DFG) announced that CASA would receive approximately €53 million in funding for a further seven years as part of the federal and state Excellence Strategy. The renewed funding marks an important milestone – for the cluster itself as well as for Bochum as a centre of science and innovation, internationally recognised for its cybersecurity research.
Minister for Science Ina Brandes stated: “CASA’s renewed success as a Cluster of Excellence demonstrates that Bochum has developed into one of Europe’s leading centres for cybersecurity. An international team of outstanding researchers is working here on one of the key issues of the future, one that directly affects the lives of all people. Their excellent work will help detect cyberattacks at an early stage, prevent them in time, and reliably protect sensitive data. This research is of central importance for our digital sovereignty.”
Insights into current and future research
Presentations and science slams illustrated what CASA stands for and where the cluster will focus its efforts in the years ahead. Researchers provided insights into current questions in cybersecurity research – ranging from digital vulnerabilities to emerging forms of attack – and presented the research agenda for the coming years.
CASA speaker Eike Kiltz highlighted the growing challenges facing the digital society: “Disruptive technologies such as generative AI, quantum computing and cryptocurrencies are fundamentally transforming our digital lives and creating new risks. At the Cluster of Excellence CASA, an international team of leading researchers is working on how to ensure sustainable security for citizens, critical infrastructures and our democracy.”
Excellence with impact for Bochum
The festive setting of the Jahrhunderthalle highlighted the significance of the occasion. CASA combines excellent fundamental research with knowledge transfer, early-career support and international collaboration, strengthening dialogue between academia, industry and policymakers. Mayor Jörg Lukat emphasized CASA’s importance as a driving force for the city: “Bochum stands for cutting-edge research in cybersecurity and for translating this research into practice. The Cluster of Excellence CASA reinforces this path by attracting international talent to Bochum and creating opportunities for early-career researchers to work, learn and contribute here. This benefits Ruhr University Bochum as a research location and provides a clear stimulus for value creation and employment in our city.”
The Rector of Ruhr University Bochum, Prof. Dr Martin Paul, also underlined the cluster’s strategic importance for the university: “CASA is far more than a single Cluster of Excellence. The renewed funding not only confirms the cluster’s scientific excellence but also highlights its key role in the joint Excellence Strategy application by Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund and for the future of Bochum as a centre of science and innovation.”
Focus on early-career-researchers
During its first funding phase (2019–2025), CASA had already established itself as an internationally visible Cluster of Excellence. Numerous researchers have received prestigious awards, including the most important German research prize, the DFG Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, awarded to Prof. Eike Kiltz.
In the new funding period, CASA will continue its interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthen knowledge transfer into practice with companies such as Google, Amazon and Meta, and further expand Bochum’s position as a leading location for cybersecurity research. A particular focus within the cluster lies on supporting early-career researchers, promoting diversity and ensuring equal opportunities. Through targeted career development measures and a clear commitment to diversity and equal opportunities, the cluster has for years succeeded in attracting outstanding international talent to Bochum.
At the subsequent dinner at the CASA Grand Reception, guests took the opportunity to exchange ideas and share their positive outlook for the future of cybersecurity research in Bochum.
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