Research, innovation and 113 million investment: the SERICS model
In a global context in which cybersecurity has become a strategic driver for competitiveness, stability and the protection of digital rights, the SERICS Foundation asserts itself as one of the most relevant projects activated within the framework of the NRP. Established in 2022 as the implementing party of the Extended Partnership on "Cybersecurity, new technologies and protection of rights" (Mission 4 - Education and Research), in three years the Foundation has built an unprecedented national network in terms of size, investment and ability to generate solutions.
The project involves 23 partners including universities, research centres and large companies, 684 researchers, 27 active projects and 113 million euros of funding, of which over 43% is allocated to the South. It is a scientific and technological infrastructure that integrates advanced research, technology transfer and specialised training, acting as a model of collaboration between academia, industry and institutions.
The Foundation's work is articulated through 10 thematic spokes, dedicated to all critical areas of digital security: from disinformation to critical infrastructures, from cryptography to operating systems, from risk to data governance. This interdisciplinary approach has made it possible to develop prototypes, patents, platforms and tools that are already being transferred to companies and public administrations.
The most relevant solutions include: IDA - Information Disorder Awareness, an AI-based platform for analysing and preventing disinformation; CallTrust, a technology to authenticate telephone communications and combat vishing; CryptoAC, a distributed cryptography framework for protecting data in the cloud; and CyberTour, an educational initiative that has brought the culture of digital security to nine Italian regions, involving PA, SMEs and students. To these are added solutions that are supporting airborne security, risk management and strengthening digital trust.
Training is another strategic pillar: through the Cybersecurity Academy, SERICS has delivered 1.450 training courses for public and private operators, developing a new generation of highly specialised professionals and a national-European supply chain of skills in cybersecurity, an essential element for dealing with ever-evolving threats.
The SERICS Foundation celebrated the synthesis of this path during an event in Rome (12 and 13 November 2025), bringing together institutions, representatives of the scientific world and businesses to outline the future prospects of the country system. The speeches by the Foundation's top management highlighted how cybersecurity is now a component of digital citizenship and an enabling factor for economic growth. In fact, the Foundation has introduced a new model of integrated research, oriented towards the needs of the market and public administration, with a strong focus on technology transfer and industrial impact.
At the end of the three-year period, SERICS delivers to the country a heritage that goes beyond project results: a stable network of skills, a supply chain of young specialists, an organised national research infrastructure and an ecosystem capable of supporting companies and institutions in the challenges of secure digital transformation. A solid foundation on which to build the next phase of Italian and European cybersecurity.
