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Cybersecurity: ACN awards 113 scholarships – a new call for applications is on the way

Grants of 4,000 euros to train cybersecurity professionals. Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano highlights the need for technicians in businesses and institutions. The director of the Cyber Agency, Andrea Quacivi, is focusing on digital skills and awareness throughout the year

by Rome Editorial Staff

1 November 2026

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3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

ACN and ITS Academy scholarships: from specialisation to employment
Mantovano: qualified experts to defend businesses and institutions
Quacivi: digital awareness must last all year round

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Italia needs technicians capable of protecting infrastructure, services and data from cyber threats. To train them, the National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN) is investing in young people: in Rome, it has awarded 113 scholarships worth 4,000 euros each and is finalising a new call for applications worth around 500,000 euros. The awards ceremony took place (on Thursday 29 October) at the Seraphicum Auditorium during Cyber Generation, an initiative organised as part of European Cybersecurity Month to bridge the gap between education and employment.

The opening round-table discussion was attended by Alfredo Mantovano, Under-Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office and Delegated Authority for the Security of the Republic; Andrea Quacivi, Director-General of the ACN; Nunzia Ciardi, Deputy Director-General of the Agency; and Guido Torrielli, President of the ITS Academy Network.

ACN and ITS Academy scholarships: from specialisation to employment

The scholarships awarded cover the two-year period 2024–2026 and form part of the memorandum of understanding signed in December 2024 by Acn and Rete ITS Italy. The agreement supports advanced technical specialisation following the school-leaving certificate, with a specific aim: to align young people’s skills with the professional requirements of the labour market.

At ITS Academies, this training is delivered through advanced technology courses, workshops and work placements. The link between institutions, vocational higher education and businesses thus aims to ensure that theoretical knowledge can be applied in practice and to meet the demand for cybersecurity technicians. The initiative forms part of the National Cybersecurity Strategy 2022–2026, which regards skills development as one of the pillars of the country’s resilience.

The day also featured a robotics demonstration by the University of International Studies in Rome (Unint), led by Professor Domenico Daniele Bloisi.

Speakers included Euclide Della Vista, national coordinator of the ITS Academy – ICT Sector; Father Paolo Benanti, a lecturer at Luiss Guido Carli; and Ettore Acerra, Director-General for Technical and Vocational Education at the Ministry of Education and Merit.

Mantovano: qualified experts to protect businesses and institutions

Businesses are looking for skills they struggle to find, whilst too many young people have to go abroad to build a career for themselves. This is the contradiction to which Mantovano draws attention. Italia, the Under-Secretary observes, has a tradition of combining technical training with a humanities-based education. Yet, for decades, technical colleges have been regarded as a secondary option, without their specific educational focus being recognised.

The consequences also extend to digital security. “Cyber threats now affect our daily lives and require appropriate expertise, not only for businesses, but also – and above all – for public institutions.” We therefore need skills that are equal to the challenge of a threat that permeates everyday life. Mantovano has a clear message for the students: “To the award-winning students, I say that sacrifice and merit are not outdated concepts, but can lead to tangible results.”

Quacivi: digital awareness must last all year round

For Quacivi, support for technical training meets a national need. “The 113 scholarships awarded today represent the country’s investment in young people and in the skills needed to tackle the challenges of cyber security.”

The Director-General of ACN points to the ITS Academies as a solution to the demand for qualified technicians and confirms that a new call for applications will be published shortly. However, in his speech, he emphasised that the role of these young people goes beyond work: they are future professionals and citizens, called upon to contribute to the protection of the country, including through digital responsibility and awareness within their own families.

This commitment cannot end with the initiatives in October: ‘European Cybersecurity Month lasts thirty days, but digital awareness must last all year round.’

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