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Today, the 1st TESTUDO Policy brief “Advancing Critical Infrastructure Resilience through Technological Innovation” has been publicly released.

Summary: The TESTUDO project pioneers the integration of AI, predictive analytics, and autonomous systems to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure. TESTUDO strengthens infrastructure protection through real-time threat detection and response mechanisms by addressing emerging threats such as cyber-attacks and climate-induced disasters. The project aligns with key EU policies, including the Artificial Intelligence Act and GDPR, ensuring responsible and legally compliant technological advancements. With a focus on interoperability, ethical AI deployment, and cross-sector collaboration, TESTUDO is a strategic model for safeguarding Europe’s critical infrastructure against evolving security challenges.

Critical infrastructure (CI) is essential to public safety, economic stability, and social well-being. However, increasing threats such as cyber-attacks, climate change-induced disasters, and other disruptions necessitate innovative solutions to enhance resilience. The TESTUDO project, funded by the European Commission under Horizon Europe, integrates artificial intelligence (AI), predictive analytics, and autonomous systems to protect CI through real-time threat detection and response.

Key Highlights

Technological Innovation: TESTUDO employs AI-driven surveillance, digital twins, and cybersecurity tools to improve situational awareness and predictive threat analysis.

Autonomous Swarm Systems: Aerial, ground, and cyber assets work collaboratively to prevent threats and ensure rapid response.

Regulatory Alignment: Ensures compliance with the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Cybersecurity Act, and other key directives.

Interoperability & Scalability: Designed for seamless integration across multiple sectors, including energy, transportation, and water supply.

Strategic Policy Recommendations

1. Accelerate AI Adoption: Promote investment in AI-based security solutions to modernize CI protection.

2. Strengthen Regulatory Frameworks: Standardize security protocols across the EU to ensure consistent protection measures.

3. Enhance Cross-Sector Collaboration: Facilitate information-sharing and partnerships between public and private sectors to improve security coordination.

Concerning ethical and legal considerations, TESTUDO prioritizes ethical AI deployment, privacy, and cybersecurity compliance. It incorporates explainable AI models and human oversight to foster trust and accountability while adhering to EU data protection laws.

TESTUDO is a pioneering initiative that enhances CI resilience through cutting-edge technology while maintaining ethical and legal standards. To maximize its impact, EU policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders must support AI-driven security solutions, establish robust regulatory frameworks, and promote cross-sector collaboration.

Read the full version of the 1st Policy Brief here.

On 29-30 April TESTUDO project was presented by partners from VICOMTECH at the 3rd ECSCI (European Cluster for Securing Critical Infrastructures) Workshop in Tecnalia premises in Bilbao, Spain.

The workshop was devoted to the different approaches to integrated cyber and physical security in different industrial sectors, such as energy, transport, drinking and wastewater, health, digital infrastructure, banking and financial market, space and public administration. 

During the workshop sessions, various novel technologies were presented for integrated security modelling, IoT security, artificial intelligence for securing critical infrastructures, distributed ledger technologies for security information sharing and increased automation for detection, prevention and mitigation measures, and AI for resilience of critical infrastructures. 

TESTUDO partners from Tekniker have recently published a research paper in the MDPI journal Electronics.

The paper entitled: Neural Network Implementation for Fire Detection in Critical Infrastructures: A Comparative Analysis on Embedded Edge Devices is available in the Deliverables and publications section as well as directly on the journal’s pages.

Tekniker team’s research in TESTUDO project focuses on deploying AI-based fire detection on embedded edge devices, ensuring real-time responsiveness and energy efficiency in critical scenarios.

This work underscores the importance of integrating lightweight AI models into low-power embedded systems, paving the way for more resilient and reliable critical infrastructure monitoring.

On April 9-10 2025 partners from NTT DATA had the opportunity to present the TESTUDO project at the Upgrade 2025 event taking place in San Francisco, USA.

Upgrade Reality is an event hosted annually by the NTT DATA Group in the Bay Area where the latest research and innovation from NTT groups around the world are shared.

This year at Upgrade 2025, the focus was on new AI applications in the context of addressing the energy needs for compute power and the impact on sustainability as well as privacy and security aspects.

On 4-6 April 2025 Satways Ltd. (STWS) presented TESTUDO project on its stand at the 2025 edition of the BEYOND EXPO event that took place in Athens, Greece.

BEYOND is an international digital technology and innovation exhibition taking place in Thessaloniki since 2021 – a hub for networking, knowledge sharing, and hands-on experience with pioneering innovations.

The 3rd ECSCI (European Cluster for Securing Critical Infrastructures) Workshop will take place on 29-30 April and will be organised in a hybrid formula – physically in Tecnalia premises in Bilbao and also online.

This workshop will present the different approaches to integrated cyber and physical security in different industrial sectors, such as energy, transport, drinking and wastewater, health, digital infrastructure, banking and financial market, space and public administration. 

The regsitration to the event is available here: https://www.ecsci.eu/third-ecsci-workshop

On 26^th and 27^th of November TESTUDO 2nd physical plenary meeting was held in Athens (Greece), hosted by EYDAP and Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH).

The meeting was focused on discussing the preparation for the upcoming UC1 and further planning for execution of UC3. All partners have been familiarised with the areas of operations and potential constraints for the trials implementation.

As part of the meeting, the consortium had an occasion to visit and learn about the EYDAP’s assets in the Attica region to understand operational processes and protocols of an example infrastructure to better prepare for implementation of the trials validating TESTUDO technological solutions via selected use-cases.

On October 16-17, 2024, the Center for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) showcased TESTUDO at the Research and Innovation Symposium for European Security 2024 (RISE-SD 2024) in Chalkidiki, Greece, as a co-organising project.

Dr. Stella Parisi presented TESTUDO, highlighting its approach, architecture, strategic objectives, and development cycles for its three Use Cases. The project also disseminated its objectives via a dedicated booth featuring a roll-up banner, promotional video, and brochures, allowing Dr. Parisi to engage with attendees. RISE-SD 2024 focused on EU R&D projects in areas such as Critical Infrastructure Protection, Cybersecurity, and Crisis Management, with panels and workshops supported by EC officials, experts and project representatives. The event was co-organised by 40 projects and attended by around 100 participants from various sectors.

On September 20^th 2024, Dr Konstantinos Ioannidis from Center for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) presented the TESTUDO project on behalf of the coordinator, Dr. Stefanos Vrochidis (Researcher Grade B’) during the EU CIP & ECSCI Webinar: The Double-Edged Sword of AI in Critical Infrastructure Protection.

The purpose of the webinar was to explore how Artificial Intelligence can enhance the resilience of critical infrastructures, while addressing potential risks introduced by AI systems.  Experts and stakeholders from various industries actively participated, engaging in an interactive discussion and sharing their insights and experiences.

During the presentation, Dr. Ioannidis highlighted the challenges posed by cognitive and predictive intelligence for threat/risk identification and operational support in critical infrastructure protection. Focusing primarily on robotic platforms, he introduced the innovative solutions offered by TESTUDO to tackle these challenges. These solutions include visual and multispectral detection, object recognition on embedded systems, activity recognition, cyber threat identification, explainable AI (XAI) for threat assessment, and prediction models using Digital Twins. The positive reception and active participation from stakeholders emphasized the importance and relevance of TESTUDO to the future of critical infrastructure protection. The recording of the online seminar is available here.

On July 12th 2024, NTT DATA had the opportunity to present TESTUDO project to the representatives from the Sapienza University of Rome. A group of researches and professors visited the NTT Data office in Rome with a keen interest in public sector initiatives and projects.

During the meeting, the TESTUDO partner introduced their service line of innovation & advanced technologies, particularly focusing on Digital Twin and its applications in urban planning, infrastructure and city development.

The presentation was well-received and the stakeholders engagement was a positive indication of the project’s relevance in the public sector.