Bournemouth University has received almost £2.3 million to create a new Cyber Competence Centre designed to strengthen cyber resilience in Dorset and across the UK by addressing well-known skills gaps.
The investment from the Office for Students will support upgraded facilities and the launch of an AI-powered Security Operations Centre of the Future, giving students a realistic training space to detect and respond to cyber threats.
Professor Nan Jiang, Head of the School of Computing and Engineering, said the UK is seeing increasing cyber-attacks on businesses and rapid advances in AI are adding pressure to professionals working in the sector. He said the new centre will include immersive incident scenarios to help students build the skills needed in industry.
Students will also work directly with organisations including Battle Lab, ESET and JP Morgan to ensure their learning reflects real-world needs.
Professor Vasilis Katos said the centre will place a focus on psychological wellbeing, noting that burnout is rising in the industry due to the intensity of AI-driven threats. He said the university will integrate mental health support into cyber resilience programmes.
The funding will also enable staff and students to run courses for residents and local businesses through the Dorset Digital Skills Partnership. These will include skills bootcamps, employer-designed programmes and flexible short courses.
Professor Jiang said the centre will play an important role in upskilling Dorset’s workforce due to the high number of small and medium-sized enterprises in the county.
Professor Christos Gatzidis said the award recognises the university’s strengths in cyber security and will support students, partners and the wider community.
The Cyber Competence Centre is due to open in March 2026.
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