The 3rd ECSCI (European Cluster for Securing Critical Infrastructures) Workshop on
Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience
Venue: Tecnalia, Bilbao, Spain and Online
Dates: 29-30 April 2025
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Scope
Scope
Modern Critical Infrastructures (CI) are becoming increasingly complex and distributed, large-scale cyber-physical systems or increasingly interconnected and interdependent to other CIs. Cyber-physical attacks are increasing in number, scope, and sophistication, making it difficult to prepare for them and predict their total impact. Thus, addressing cyber security and physical security separately is no longer effective. Still, more integrated approaches that consider both physical and cyber-security risks, along with their interrelationships, interactions, and cascading effects, are needed to face the challenge of combined cyber-physical or even hybrid attacks.
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 peculiarities of critical infrastructure protection in each one of these sectors will be discussed and addressed by the different projects of the ECSCI cluster that will present their outcomes, discussing the technical, ethical and societal aspects and the underlying technologies.
Specifically, novel techniques will be 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.
The workshop will include keynote speeches, projects presentations, roundtable and panel discussions, and thematic presentations. It is intended for scientists and experts in the field of critical infrastructure protection, CISOs, CIOs, CERTs, CSIRTs, CSOs, cyber and physical security experts representing different sectors and policy makers for critical infrastructure resilience.
Organizing Committee
Organizing Committee
Habtamu Abie, Norsk Regnesentral/Norwegian Computing Center, Norway
Ilias Gkotsis, Inlecom Innovation, Greece
Manos Athanatos, Technical University of Crete, Greece
Lorenzo Lodi, Zanasi & Partners, Italy
Denis Čaleta, Institute for Corporate Security Studies, Slovenia
Aleksandar Jovanovic, EU-VRi, Germany
Nina Jirouskova, Resilient Worlds, UK
Rita Ugarelli, SINTEF, Norway
Isabel Praça, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Portugal
Erkuden Rios Velasco, TECNALIA, Spain
Jason X. Mansell, TECNALIA, Spain
Keynote Speakers
Keynote Speakers
Marianthi Theocharidou
Marianthi Theocharidou
ENISA
Dr Marianthi Theocharidou is a cybersecurity expert at ENISA. She works for the Resilience of Critical sectors unit, where she supports the implementation of the NIS Directive. She is engaged in topics such as cyber threat landscapes, cyber risk management measures and supply chain security. Prior to joining ENISA, she worked on critical infrastructure protection, risk assessment and hybrid threats for the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. She was an Adjunct Lecturer with the Department of Informatics, Athens University of Economics and Business. She holds a BSc on Informatics, a MSc on Information Systems and a PhD on ICT Security and Critical Infrastructural Protection with Athens University of Economics and Business.
Polyvios HADJIYIANGOU
Polyvios HADJIYIANGOU
European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC)
Polyvios Hadjiyiangou has over 15 years of experience within European institutions, including the European Parliament, the European Commission, and Joint Undertakings. He currently serves as the Head of Operations at the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC). He holds a Diploma in International and European Economic and Political Studies from the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki, Greece, and a Master of Arts in European Integration from the University of Essex, United Kingdom. Additionally, he has obtained an Accounting Certificate from the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Examination Board.
His expertise lies in the implementation of Research Framework Programmes and related policies, covering a broad range of areas such as strategic planning, programme management, policy and impact analysis. He has overseen the full lifecycle of calls for proposals and tenders - from inception to execution, monitoring, and resource allocation - ensuring efficiency and measurable impacts.
Throughout his career, Polyvios has worked to bridge the gap between the public and private sectors, fostering collaboration and promoting innovation across various fields, including cybersecurity, medicines and health, circular bio-based industries and aviation. He has engaged with a diverse range of stakeholders—research organisations, academia, large industries, SMEs, startups, public authorities, non-governmental organisations, civil society, and international organisations—driving cooperation and leveraging investment in EU-funded research projects.
Roberto Cascella
Roberto Cascella
ECSO
Roberto Cascella is the Chief Technology Officer at the European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO), where he leads two key technical working groups influencing European cybersecurity strategies. He focuses on shaping the cybersecurity research and innovation roadmap and establishing trusted supply chains at the EU level. Roberto also represents ECSO on several committees, including the Stakeholders Cybersecurity Certification Group (SCCG) under the Cybersecurity Act. Previously, Roberto coordinated the European Cybersecurity Community Support project (ECCO) from 2022 to 2024, funded by the Digital Europe Programme (DEP). This project supported the development and coordination of the Cybersecurity Competence Community across Europe, in alignment with the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC) and National Coordination Centres Network. Roberto holds a Ph.D. in Information and Communication Technology from the University of Trento, and an M.Sc. in Telecommunication Engineering from Politecnico di Torino and KTH Stockholm.
Giannis Skiadaresis
Giannis Skiadaresis
DG HOME
Mr. Giannis Skiadaresis is currently the Area Coordinator for Disaster Resilient Societies (DRS) Strengthened Security research and Innovation (SSRI) in the Unit on Security Research and Innovation of Directorate General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME) in European Commission. Mr. Skiadaresis holds an MA in EU International Relations and Diplomacy, from the College of Europe in Bruges where he was a laureate of ENP-EU scholarship awarded by the European Commission. He has also graduated from the Leadership programme of Harvard Kennedy School and from the Strategic Innovation Programme of University of Oxford. He has worked in the Cabinet of Commissioner Avramopoulos on Migration, Home affairs and Citizenship and in other posts at DG HOME in the European Commission. His experience also includes Industrial Policy, Foresight, New Technologies and Innovation, International relations, security and defence policy, and business development.
Georgios Valsamos
Georgios Valsamos
JRC
Dr. Georgios Valsamos holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Computational Mechanics from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Over the last two years, he led a team at the Joint Research Centre, focusing on hybrid threats and the resilience of critical infrastructure. He has authored over 40 publications and book chapters and possesses a strong background in developing numerical models to assess structural vulnerabilities.
Oliver Seiffarth
Oliver Seiffarth
DG HOME - F2-Innovation and Security Research / CERIS
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