Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Digital infrastructures together with their connected devices are characterised by complex interdependencies involving various physical and logical layers and connecting a wide range of legacy IT solutions and innovative technologies. Their availability, controlled performance and reliability need to be guaranteed at every moment serving the needs, sometimes critical and safety-related e.g. in transportation, energy, healthcare, of millions of citizens, enterprises and society. Therefore, they need to be protected in real-time against ever-evolving cybersecurity threats.
Application scenarios include but are not limited to cybersecurity of communication systems and networks and their components, e.g. 5G networks, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, medical devices, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, and their services, e.g. cloud-based ICT solutions.
Proposals should develop and validate demonstration prototypes of tools and technologies to monitor and analyse cybersecurity incidents in an operational environment in line with the NIS directive and the General Data Protection Regulation. They should contribute to improved penetration testing methods and their automation by using machine learning and other AI technologies as appropriate. Moreover, proposals should support effective network traffic analysis applying detection techniques in network operations based on advanced security information management and threat intelligence. Proposed solutions should also include validation or piloting of cyber threat intelligence with early-stage detection, prediction and contributions towards response capability using predictive analytics, and as relevant, with efficient and user-friendly interaction methods, e.g. visual analytics.
A strong culture awareness of data protection should be fostered. The proposals should also appropriately address concerns about mass surveillance and protection of personal spaces. All technologies and tools developed should be appropriately documented, to support take-up and replicability.
Each consortium will define the selection process of the third parties for which financial support will be granted (typically in the order of €50,000 to €300,000 per party). Up to 20% of the EU funding requested by the proposal may be allocated to the purpose of financial support to third parties.
70%
Expected EU contribution: between €4 and €6 million
Some activities, resulting from this topic, may involve using classified background and/or producing of security sensitive results (EUCI and SEN).
Consortia should bring together interdisciplinary expertise and capacity covering the supply and the demand side. Participation of SMEs is strongly encouraged.
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia
P.O.Box 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Phone Number: +357 22205000
Email Address: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
Dr. Ioannis Theodorou
Scientific Officer
Contact Phone: +357 22 20 50 38
Contact Email: itheodorou@research.org.cy
Christakis Theocharous
Scientific Officer A’
Contact Phone: +357 22 20 50 29
Contact Email: ctheocharous@research.org.cy
European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/research-and-innovation_en#contact