The “Noche de los Investigadores” (Researchers’ Night) is a large-scale science outreach celebration held annually as part of the European Researchers’ Night initiative. This year, on Friday, September 26, from 6 pm to 10 pm. the University of Murcia hosted its most ambitious edition yet - featuring around 350 free activities.

Workshops, live experiments, interactive stands, and science shows filled public spaces across the city, bringing research directly to the community. The event invited everyone - children, families, students, and adults - to experience the excitement of discovery and see what science looks like up close.

This year’s program extended beyond campus walls, turning Murcia’s central plazas into living laboratories. Research groups and initiatives like CyberCamp UMU and the CERTIFY Project joined forces to present cutting-edge topics in technology, innovation, and digital literacy.

Visitors explored how cybersecurity, sustainability, and education connected through hands-on experiments and creative demonstrations. The CERTIFY Project, in particular, showcased how universities could strengthen trust in digital learning and professional certification — an example of how European collaboration enhanced science and education at the local level.

The event was completely free and open to everyone, designed to spark curiosity and encourage conversation between researchers and citizens.

Beyond the fun and experiments, the night had a deeper goal: to bridge the gap between science and society. Through initiatives like the CERTIFY Project, the University of Murcia emphasized transparency, inclusivity, and innovation in education and research.

By inviting the public to meet the people behind scientific discoveries, the event promoted trust in science and inspired new generations to pursue careers in STEM. This edition - the largest in the university’s history - reflected the institution’s growing commitment to open science, collaboration, and European values of shared knowledge.

The rapid evolution of embedded systems has led to a world filled with smart, connected devices - from home appliances and wearables to industrial systems. While this connectivity enables convenience and innovation, it also opens new doors to cyber threats such as data theft, remote hijacking, and botnet attacks.

To counter these risks, the European Union introduced key regulations including NIS2, the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), and the Cyber Security Act (CSA). These aim to ensure cybersecurity across the entire product lifecycle, promote collaboration in threat monitoring and information sharing, and establish a robust EU-wide certification framework for connected devices.

The Horizon EU CERTIFY project introduces a new methodology for continuous cybersecurity certification of IoT devices. Unlike traditional one-time assessments, CERTIFY focuses on maintaining trust throughout a product’s lifetime by leveraging evidence already generated by manufacturers.

By extending the IETF Manufacturer Usage Description (MUD) standard and integrating it into the CyberPass platform, CERTIFY enables automated validation of product security. CyberPass signs MUD files that link certification details, device behavior, and secure configurations - ensuring that every update or mitigation from the manufacturer is traceable and verified.

CERTIFY simplifies the re-certification process while strengthening trust between manufacturers, evaluators, and end users. Its evidence-based approach ensures that security measures evolve with new vulnerabilities, keeping connected devices compliant and resilient.

Built on Zero-Trust and security-by-design principles, CERTIFY supports zero-touch enrollment, runtime assessment, and collaborative threat response. The project represents a major step toward a future where embedded systems can detect, evaluate, and respond to cyber threats - ensuring devices remain secure not just at launch, but throughout their entire lifecycle.

CERTIFY had workshops with European projects like

• ENTRUST: Dimitris Karras (UBITECH) approach, use cases, demos
• TELEMETRY: Robert Seidl (NOKIA) approach, use cases, demos
• SCRIN: approach, use cases, demos

There we showcase use cases and CERTIFY approach

The CERTIFY project, led by its partner AIR Institute, joined a meeting on “Cybersecurity and Blockchain for Business Digital Transformation” on November 7 at University of Valladolid in Spain. The event organized by CIBERIA, gathered around 30 businesses from the Castilla y León region. CERTIFY shared its work on making IoT technology safer in areas such as airplane cabins, small automated factories, and art monitoring. The meeting helped CERTIFY connect with potential partners who might want to test and discover its IoT solutions. The main goal of the project is to promote cybersecurity in smart devices, supporting safe technology use for local businesses.

CIBERIA hosted a session called “Cybersecurity and Blockchain for Business Digital Transformation” in a mix of online and in-person formats. The session focused on helping businesses stay secure as they move more of their work online. It highlighted the need for strong protections against cyber threats. With more people showing interest in the project, the team is motivated to create new, effective IoT solutions that are easy for businesses to use.

CERTIFY participated in +Industry at the BEC (Bilbao Exhibition Centre) in Bilbao on June 4th and 5th, Spain’s leading hub for Smart Manufacturing and a global business forum where toptier exhibitors and highly specialized visitors from around the world converge. The event brought together 873 exhibitors from across the globe to showcase innovations in manufacturing, supply and industrial digitalisation, with a strong focus on AI, big data, IoT and Cybersecurity.

Featuring seven specialized trade fairs under the slogan “All of industry here”, +Industry highlighted cutting-edge technologies and attracted participants from countries including Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, China, The United States, India and Taiwan, reinforcing its role as key international hub for industrial innovation.

Represented by AIR Institute, CERTIFY took the opportunity at the event to expand its collaboration network, engaging with leading cybersecurity firms like Thales, Bullhost and Cybertix and promoting its upcoming online infoday focused on innovation in the European ecosystem.

We at Certify warmly invite you to join us for our second Infoday, titled “Driving Innovation for a Robust European Ecosystem”, which will be held online on 10th June.

This edition will feature expert contributions from the European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO), the Smart Connectivity Digital Innovation Hub Network (SCoDIHNeT), and Secure Networks (SECNET), alongside representatives from the Certify consortium.

Throughout the event, we will address topics related to active security across the lifecycle of connected devices, and the integration of IoT, Edge Computing, and Cybersecurity in industrial environments. We will also dedicate time to examining emerging trends and evolving consumer needs that are shaping the journey towards a more resilient and secure digital ecosystem.

To attend our second Infoday, simply register via this link and save the date: Tuesday, 10th June at 9:30 am. The event will run until 11:45 am, and you can join comfortably from your computer or mobile device.

As noted earlier, one of the featured organisations is ECSO, recognised as one of Europe’s leading entities in strengthening the continent’s cybersecurity ecosystem. ECSO contributes by fostering public-private collaboration, advancing cybersecurity research and innovation, and promoting shared standards that ensure digital protection across Europe.

Meanwhile, the SCoDIHNeT network focuses on promoting smart connectivity to accelerate the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises by providing access to technologies such as IoT, 5G, Edge Computing, and AI-based solutions. SECNET, true to its name, works to develop more secure and resilient digital networks, including the implementation of proactive defence solutions against advanced cyber threats.

Cybersecurity Week took place from May 5th to 7th in Salamanca, Spain, organized jointly by the University of Salamanca and the National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE). This event gathered a diverse group of cybersecurity experts, institutions, and prominent projects dedicated to advancing digital security. It featured discussions and presentations addressing the latest challenges, trends, and innovations in cybersecurity. A key component of the event was a roundtable focused on "international projects," where leading initiatives from across Europe shared insights and progress in securing digital ecosystems.

The European project CERTIFY was prominently featured during the roundtable on international cybersecurity projects, represented by the Spanish partner AIR Institute and cybersecurity specialist Pablo Plaza. Plaza outlined CERTIFY’s main goal: to secure the entire lifecycle of Internet of Things (IoT) devices by embedding security from the design stage, rather than treating it as an afterthought. CERTIFY employs a flexible and adaptable methodological framework tailored to the specific needs of different devices and operating environments. The project integrates secure hardware components and applies efficient cryptographic protocols alongside the Manufacturer Usage Description (MUD) standard. This standard facilitates secure management of network traffic without overburdening the device's limited resources, addressing critical challenges unique to IoT ecosystems.

CERTIFY stands out for its comprehensive, dynamic security architecture, designed to operate effectively in the real world where IoT devices vary widely and often face technical constraints. The project emphasizes cybersecurity as an essential part of functional design, enabling key features such as secure Over-The-Air (OTA) firmware updates protected by cryptographic signatures. These mechanisms ensure device security without compromising performance or usability. The roundtable also discussed common challenges in implementing strong security measures in devices that weren’t originally designed with security in mind, highlighting CERTIFY’s role as a forward-thinking, adaptable solution. Currently, CERTIFY is integrating its security solutions into practical, real-world scenarios, with upcoming presentations planned to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of its approach to various stakeholders across the industry.

From April 1st to 3rd, Certify, represented by our project partners AIR Institute and Red Alert Labs, participated in InCyber Forum 2025 in Lille, France. Under the theme "Beyond Zero Trust: Trust for All," Certify demonstrated its cutting-edge solutions designed for the industrial, logistics, and commercial sectors. The event provided an excellent platform to highlight Certify’s vision for strengthening trust and resilience in high-risk IoT environments.

InCyber Forum 2025 attracted over 700 cybersecurity leaders, offering Certify the ideal environment to expand its network of industry stakeholders. Productive meetings and technical discussions allowed Certify to forge valuable partnerships and gather essential feedback. The strong interest from companies reaffirmed the relevance of Certify’s work in mitigating vulnerabilities in industrial IoT systems - a crucial step toward a successful project rollout.

Now in its 17th edition, InCyber Forum drew more than 20,000 participants from across Europe, confirming its position as a premier cybersecurity event. Alongside key exhibitions, the program included standout events such as the European Cyber Cup, Web3 Security Summit, and OSINT Day. These activities fostered deep conversations around current challenges, including cybercrime, financial fraud, and blockchain’s evolving role in sustainable industries.

The panel titled "Cybersecurity certification for the Computing Continuum: Future Challenges and Opportunities" was a high-impact, 2-hour industrial session aimed at tackling the complex and evolving landscape of cybersecurity certification across Europe’s digital infrastructure. The panel was part of the CLOSER 2025 Conference and brought together thought leaders from industry and academia to engage in a provocative discussion on critical cybersecurity issues.

Dr. Antonio Skarmeta from the University of Murcia brought deep expertise in IoT security, privacy, and next-generation networks to the panel. With a strong track record in leading European research initiatives—such as CERTIFY, DOSS, and COBALT—Antonio contributed valuable insights into securing the IoT lifecycle, confidential data collaboration, and privacy-preserving data processing. His experience coordinating cutting-edge projects and his academic leadership made him a key voice in discussions around cybersecurity certification, particularly in the context of AI, 5G, and edge computing. Antonio’s perspective bridged the gap between research innovation and practical implementation, especially for emerging technologies in regulated environments.

Attendees could expect Antonio to provide forward-looking views on how Europe can build a secure and trustworthy computing continuum.

As Europe accelerated its digital transformation, cybersecurity resilience has become more critical than ever. This panel dived into the pressing challenges posed by today’s hyperconnected landscape—where AI misuse, supply chain vulnerabilities, and hybrid threats intersected with emerging regulatory frameworks like the AI Act, Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), and EU Cybersecurity Certification Scheme (EUCS). Backed by leading projects from the European Cluster for Cybersecurity Certification—including CERTIFY—this session explored innovative solutions like AI-enhanced certification, continuous compliance, and trusted IoT supply chains.

The panel was especially timely as Edge, IoT, and Cloud technologies surge, bringing new cyber threats and greater compliance complexity. With industries shifting toward multi-cloud environments, the need for security-by-design, zero-trust models, and automated certification processes is more urgent than ever—particularly in regulated sectors such as finance and healthcare. Attendees gained a strategic understanding of how Europe could safeguard its digital infrastructure by combining policy, technology, and collaborative innovation.

IEEE SmartComp 2025, the premier conference on smart computing, will be held from June 16 to 19, 2025, in Cork, Ireland. The conference focuses on the design, development, and application of smart computing technologies, encompassing areas such as IoT, cybersecurity, and intelligent systems.

The upcoming LIFESEC Workshop, scheduled for June 16, 2025 is set to be a significant event within the IEEE SmartComp 2025 conference. Jointly organized by the Horizon Europe projects TELEMETRY and DOSS, LIFESEC aims to address the pressing challenges of ensuring comprehensive security throughout the entire lifecycle of smart systems. The workshop will convene experts from academia and industry to explore innovative methods and tools that bolster lifecycle security, from design to deployment and operation. Attendees can anticipate engaging keynote speeches, interactive panel discussions, and opportunities for collaboration with a global network of professionals dedicated to advancing smart system security.

LIFESEC invites researchers, developers, and practitioners to submit original papers that present groundbreaking approaches to lifecycle security in smart systems. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, secure systems design, risk management, compliance with regulations like the Cybersecurity Act and GDPR, and the integration of digital twins in security methodologies. Accepted papers will be presented at the workshop and included in the conference proceedings, offering a platform to showcase innovations to a specialized audience.

For comprehensive information on the LIFESEC Workshop, including submission guidelines, program schedule, and registration details, please visit the official event page.

From March 12th to 14th, the Certify project, supported by AIR Institute, made a strong appearance at Transfiere 2025 in Málaga. As one of Europe’s most prominent forums for innovation, the event welcomed more than 6,000 professionals from over 30 countries. Certify took this opportunity to present its most impactful use cases — from IoT-based aircraft cockpit security, to smart micro-factory solutions, and artwork tracking systems. These demonstrations illustrated the project’s potential to enhance security in critical infrastructure, aligning closely with Industry 5.0 objectives.

Transfiere was also a key space for networking and collaboration. Certify connected with accelerators, research centres, and industry players eager to explore partnerships and pilot applications. These conversations highlighted the growing demand for trustworthy cybersecurity frameworks and showcased Certify’s relevance in the European digital transition. The interest received during the event lays a strong foundation for future collaboration, particularly around standardisation and cross-sector adoption of IoT security solutions.

AIR Institute played a pivotal role in Certify’s presence at the event. With deep expertise in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, blockchain, and IoT, AIR Institute actively drives the development and integration of Certify’s use cases. Recently recognised as a National Technological Centre, the institute serves as a key link between research, industry, and innovation, ensuring Certify’s contributions align with European priorities in digital trust and industrial resilience.