IQ Defence is a capacity-building initiative designed to strengthen cybersecurity resilience across the European Union through structured education, regulatory alignment, and harmonised skills development. The project addresses the operational and strategic challenges arising from implementing the NIS2 Directive and the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), with a particular focus on translating regulatory requirements into measurable competencies and practical readiness. IQ Defence (Grant Agreement No. 101249724) is funded by the European Union under the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL-ECCC-2024-DEPLOY-CYBER-07-CYBERSEC-02) and is implemented over 36 months. The core premise of IQ Defence is straightforward: regulatory frameworks alone do not ensure security. Effective cybersecurity depends on trained professionals, informed leadership, capable institutions, and coordinated implementation across Member States. IQ Defence therefore integrates policy alignment, occupational standard development, multilingual training delivery, and cross-border knowledge exchange into a unified framework. The project began on January 1, 2026, and is implemented over 36 months, combining regulatory alignment, skills development, digital platform deployment, and cross-border cooperation.