CONCORDIA: University of Passau strengthens European cyber-strategy
The EU network CONCORDIA is developing a European cyber-security schedule. A team headed by computer scientist Professor Stefan Katzenbeisser from the University of Passau is contributing its expertise in the field of critical infrastructures.
The European Union is asserting its right to play a part in the organisation of digital sovereignty. Part of the strategy is to combine competences that already exist and develop a European schedule for IT security research. The EU network CONCORDIA, short for 'Cyber Security Competence for Research and Innovation', is currently working on that.
Also involved is a team from the University of Passau headed by the computer scientist Professor Stefan Katzenbeisser, holder of the Chair of Computer Engineering. He and his team are developing security anchors for critical infrastructures, for example in the area of transport, but also with regard to the Internet of Things and technical data protection. "We do not want to leave the organisation of these areas to large American Internet corporations", he says, describing the aim of the network.
CODE research centre functions as coordinator
To this end, CONCORDIA is networking cyber-security centres in Europe, developing IT products and services together with industry, and establishing a platform for the teaching and training of IT competences throughout Europe. The project is being coordinated by the research centre CODE (Cyber Defense and Smart Data) at the Universität der Bundeswehr München (UNIBW M).
The university partners include reputable institutions of higher education and research all over Europe, such as the University of Twente, the University of Milan, Imperial College London, the University OsloMet and the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ). The corporate partners include global corporations such as Siemens, Infineon, Airbus Space and Defence, and small and medium-sized enterprises such as secunet and Bitdefender.
European protection against cyber-attacks
"With CONCORDIA, we aim to combine numerous IT competences in order to enhance the digital sovereignty of Europe", explains the senior director of CODE, Professor Gabi Dreo, adding: "We want to develop concepts, tools and products to protect Europe and the digital society against cyber-attacks".
Professor Dreo went on to say that that protection covered the whole width of society: citizens, companies, all the way up to state institutions and organisations. She said that the aim was also to develop mechanisms for the teaching and training of IT competences within CONCORDIA.
The EU network CONCORDIA is designed to run for four years. The European Union is supporting the project with funds from the EU framework programme for research and innovation 'Horizon 2020' under the grant number 830927.
More information
Principal Investigator(s) at the University | Prof. Dr. Stefan Katzenbeisser (Lehrstuhl für Technische Informatik) |
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Project period | 01.01.2019 - 31.12.2022 |
Website | https://www.concordia-h2020.eu/ |
Source of funding | Europäische Union (EU) > EU - 8. Forschungsrahmenprogramm (Horizon 2020) |
Funding notice | Die Europäische Union fördert das Vorhaben aus Mitteln des EU-Rahmenprogramms für Forschung und Innovation „Horizon 2020“ unter der Fördernummer 830927. |