Valencia launches EU port cybersecurity project

Co-funded by the Horizon Europe programme through the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency, ATHENA seeks to ensure compliance with new EU security regulations under the European Cybersecurity Act.

With a budget exceeding €5 million, the project brings together partners across Europe to strengthen digital infrastructure security and support the implementation of EU-wide cybersecurity standards.

ATHENA will provide tools that support early-stage reliability and compliance of new digital products with harmonised European legislation such as the Cyber Resilience Act, the NIS2 Directive and the Data Act. The project also targets the specific security needs of a range of stakeholders across varying sectors.

Key to ATHENA is the integration of AI and advanced automation tools that can detect and assess system vulnerabilities. These technologies will allow for continuous evaluation and active protection against evolving cyber threats.

Fundación Valenciaport, one of the project’s core participants, will focus on testing and validating the solutions within a real-world port environment, specifically in control and surveillance systems, to ensure efficacy and regulatory compliance.

ATHENA is coordinated by Valencian firm CiberTRS, and brings together 12 partners from across Europe, including research institutions, universities, private companies and innovation centres.

These include the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, ETRA, ITTI and others, forming a multidisciplinary consortium committed to enhancing Europe’s digital resilience.