Nokia is located in the Anticipa technology park in Lannion, which alone accounts for 45% of French telecom research. After many ups and downs, it announced on November 4 the launch of its European Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity, a project that was envisaged as early as 2016 but which has had some setbacks. Nokia, after its 2016 takeover of Alcatel-Lucent, recruited until 2019 before beginning a series of job cuts due to its delay in developing 5G infrastructure. The Pandemic Economic Recovery Plan helped it turn things around and Nokia was able to announce the launch of the Lannion Center in 2020 with a creation of 97 positions with highly specialized profiles. Only 22 people are currently being recruited, but the centre can operate while awaiting reinforcements.

A launch supported by the Recovery Plan

In order to face the competition, Nokia has made a series of social plans. On June 27, 2020, the company announced its fourth, with 402 job cuts, most of which were in research and development (R&D). Bernard Trémulot, from the CFDT union at Nokia was indignant:

“They are attacking R&D, cutting jobs in R&D5G, it’s incomprehensible.”

The unions mobilized, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for Industry, intervened and negotiations led to a reduction in the redundancy plan (239 job cuts).

The Recovery Plan supported the project with 10.5 million euros and the Lannion Centre has been operational since 4 November. Pierre-Gaël Chantereau, President of Nokia France, said:

“We are very proud to officially launch our European cybersecurity centre. With the development of 5G, Industry 4.0 and the associated virtualization of networks, it is more essential than ever to strengthen collaboration between all players to provide a strong response to cybersecurity issues. This is the whole point of this new center, which will enable us to go further in supporting our operator and enterprise customers in France and Europe.”

Recruiting new engineers

Nokia is faced with a challenge: recruiting a team skilled in both telecoms networks and cyber security. The dynamism of Brittany’s technology companies is booming and “all the indicators are green” according to Estelle Karaval, director of the Anticipa technology park. Nokia is not the only one looking for engineers with this profile. Pierre-Gaël Chantereau confirms:

“recruiting engineers with a highly prized dual skill set, experts in cybersecurity and telecoms, is far from easy. There is a shortage of talent on these types of profiles.”

“Around 100 positions are open for recruitment to strengthen existing teams.”

The expertise of the Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity will therefore help secure the telecom networks and critical infrastructures of its customers. On a global level, it will provide expertise and technical support to the SIOCs (Security Intelligence & Operations Centers).

Teams from the Nokia-Saclay site will cooperate with those in Lannion to provide advice and analysis in risk management and security of communication networks. The expertise of Nokia Bell Labs will support them in this consulting activity.

Job offers within the Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security are available HERE.

Translated from Le Centre européen d’excellence en cybersécurité de Nokia lancé à Lannion