Physical Security Enhancement in Core Network Components at the Greek Pilot Site
Physical Security Enhancement in Core Network Components at the Greek Pilot Site
On 24 July 2025, HEDNO successfully completed the installation of advanced sensors for the “Physical Security Enhancement in Core Network Components” use case at the Greek pilot site. This implementation focuses on Primary HV/MV and Secondary MV/LV Substations and aligns with the project plan and the end-of-July milestone.
Strengthening Substation Security
This use case aims to mitigate and prevent incidents such as vandalism and theft at MV/LV substations by installing sensors, including infrared (IR) radar devices. In the event of an attack or unauthorized physical intrusion, the sensors immediately send an alert signal to the Distribution System Operator (DSO), enabling a swift response and reducing downtime. This proactive approach helps minimize potential power losses and shorten service interruptions for affected customers.
How the System Works
The installed sensors feature two main monitoring functions:
- Voltage monitoring on the secondary winding of the transformer.
- Detection of human presence within the substation area.
If both conditions are met—no voltage and detected human presence—the system interprets it as a potential theft attempt and sends an immediate alert. Alerts are also triggered if only one condition is met (e.g., unauthorized presence detected by radar), ensuring comprehensive surveillance.
Advanced Monitoring Tools
In addition, partners have been provided with tablets running a dedicated application that allows real-time monitoring of the status of three transformers. The application also supports exporting event history in HTML format, offering better traceability and reporting. All devices have been tested and confirmed to be fully operational and successfully communicating with the application.
This milestone marks an important step in enhancing the physical security of critical energy infrastructure, contributing to improved resilience and reliability of the network.
Further information:
info@r2d2project.eu
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101075714.
R²D² Workshop Recap: Strengthening Energy Infrastructure Against Extreme Events
R²D² Workshop Recap: Strengthening Energy Infrastructure Against Extreme Events
On 8 July 2025, the R²D² project held a successful online workshop titled “Strengthening Energy Infrastructure Against Extreme Events”, bringing together over 90 participants from across Europe. The event offered a deep dive into how innovative solutions developed within the R²D² project are being applied in real-life contexts to reinforce the resilience of critical energy systems.
The session featured insights and experiences from the project’s three pilot sites in Slovenia, Greece, and Portugal. These countries, each facing different climate-related risks, provided concrete examples of how tailored technological and strategic interventions can help mitigate the impact of extreme weather events on energy infrastructure.
Participants had the opportunity to hear directly from the teams implementing the R²D² solutions on the ground. The workshop highlighted how the tools and technologies being tested are not only technically robust but also adaptable to local needs and challenges.
The event also sparked engaging discussions, with participants raising key questions about replicability, scalability, and policy integration—topics that will remain central as the project moves forward.
📺 Missed the workshop? The full recording is now available, allowing anyone who couldn’t attend live to catch up on the content and discussions.
The presentations are available for download.
Further information:
info@r2d2project.eu
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101075714.
Upcoming R²D² Workshop to Tackle Energy Resilience Amid Growing Extreme Events
Upcoming R²D² Workshop to Tackle Energy Resilience Amid Growing Extreme Events
As Europe braces for increasingly frequent and severe climate-related events, a new online workshop will spotlight how cutting-edge innovations are helping to safeguard energy infrastructure across the continent.
Set to take place on 8 July 2025, the R²D² Workshop – Strengthening Energy Infrastructure Against Extreme Events will bring together technology providers, end-users, and policymakers for a deep dive into real-world solutions being tested in three European countries.
From 10:00 to 12:00 CEST, participants will hear from teams working directly on the ground in Portugal, Slovenia, and Greece, three R²D² pilot sites, where tools like C3PO, IRIS, PRECOG, and EMMA are being deployed to enhance energy system resilience, identify vulnerabilities, and prevent cascading failures across critical infrastructure.
A Focus on Actionable Innovation
Rather than focusing solely on theory or policy, the workshop will center on practical applications of R²D² technologies in diverse geographical and operational contexts. Presenters will share how these solutions are helping communities and operators respond to real challenges brought on by extreme weather, natural disasters, and the growing threat of systemic risks.
“The workshop is an opportunity to see resilience in action,” say the organisers. “These pilot sites are not just test beds, they’re learning environments where we’re translating research into concrete outcomes.”
Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and Implementation
A key goal of the event is to foster stronger collaboration between solution developers and stakeholders, ensuring that the innovations being developed are aligned with on-the-ground needs and ready for broader adoption.
Participants will be invited to engage in discussions around implementation strategies, local adaptation, and long-term scalability. By bringing together actors from across the energy and infrastructure sectors, the workshop aims to accelerate the uptake of solutions that are urgently needed in today’s climate landscape.
Registration Now Open
The event is free to attend and open to all interested stakeholders in the fields of energy, infrastructure, disaster resilience, and climate adaptation.
🖱️ Register here.
Further information:
info@r2d2project.eu
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101075714.
R2D2 will participate in the EUSEW 2025
R2D2 will participate in the EUSEW 2025
The R²D² project is proud to announce its participation in the upcoming European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2025, taking place in Brussels from June 10 to 12. As part of the Networking Village, R²D² will be present at booth C5, hosted by the project’s coordinator ETRA, offering attendees a closer look at its advanced tools to secure and strengthen Europe’s energy infrastructure.
R²D² is an Innovation Action designed to enhance the resilience, reliability, and security of today’s Electrical Power and Energy Systems (EPES). In the face of increasing threats—whether technical failures, physical attacks, or cyber incidents—R²D² is developing innovative solutions to prevent and mitigate vulnerabilities in these critical infrastructures.
Visitors to the booth will be able to explore four key tools developed by the project to support the prevention, protection, and restoration of EPES. These solutions are being deployed and validated in two distinct but complementary real-world scenarios:
• Regional coordination among Transmission System Operators (TSOs),
• Data privacy protection for low-voltage (LV) customers.
Both use cases reflect the project’s end-to-end approach to energy resilience—addressing security at both the grid and consumer levels.
The R²D² project plays an active role in reinforcing energy coordination in South-East Europe (SEE), in line with EU regulatory frameworks and the cybersecurity roadmap promoted by ENTSO-E for transmission systems. By combining advanced monitoring, predictive analytics, and incident response mechanisms, R²D² aims to strengthen the European energy system’s capacity to withstand and recover from disruptions.
EUSEW 2025, under the theme “Powering a fair and competitive green transition,” offers a key platform to engage with innovators and policymakers working toward a secure and sustainable energy future. R²D² is proud to contribute to this effort and looks forward to connecting with stakeholders from across the energy ecosystem.
Further information:
info@r2d2project.eu
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101075714.
BRIDGE Newsletter: R2D2 Advancing Cybersecurity in Energy Systems
BRIDGE Newsletter: R2D2 Advancing Cybersecurity in Energy Systems
The latest BRIDGE Newsletter explores how the R2D2 project is advancing state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions to strengthen the resilience and reliability of Electrical Power and Energy Systems (EPES) in response to growing threats and vulnerabilities.
The featured article focuses on R2D2’s development of advanced tools designed to help EPES operators identify and address supply chain security gaps. These tools detect vulnerabilities and provide actionable insights, empowering organizations to mitigate risks, improve supply chain resilience, and contribute to a more secure energy ecosystem.
Among the key innovations is the R2D2 Self-Assessment Tool, part of the PRECOG solution (Prevention Systems for Energy Infrastructure Security). This tool enables EPES operators to evaluate their cybersecurity posture and take informed steps to enhance their defenses.
Read the full article here: ETIP SNET – BRIDGE – R2D2: Advancing Cybersecurity in Energy Systems
Further information:
info@r2d2project.eu
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101075714.
BRIDGE Newsletter: R2D2’s Role in Enhancing Power System Resilience to Extreme Weather
BRIDGE Newsletter: R2D2’s Role in Enhancing Power System Resilience to Extreme Weather
The latest BRIDGE Newsletter delves into how R2D2 is improving power system resilience to the growing threat of extreme weather, while also featuring updates on other projects and initiatives related to Europe’s Energy Transition.
The article highlights how climate change is driving an increase in extreme weather events, including floods, wildfires, and windstorms. In response, the R2D2 project has developed two innovative solutions currently in the demonstration phase: C3PO (Multi-Risk Assessment Framework for Power Systems) and EMMA (Enhanced Assets Maintenance and Management Toolkit). These tools are not only valuable during or after a critical event but are also crucial in the planning stage. Should TSOs or DSOs want to simulate the impact of catastrophic events on infrastructure, assess cascading effects, and organize resources to improve system reliability, these solutions are key.
Read the full article here: ETIP SNET – BRIDGE – R2D2 project enhances power system resilience to extreme weather
Further information:
info@r2d2project.eu
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101075714.
Call for papers: Enhancing Cyber-Physical Resilience Against Digital Breakdowns
Call for papers: Enhancing Cyber-Physical Resilience Against Digital Breakdowns
A Call for Workshop Papers is now open for the upcoming “Cyber-Physical Resilience and Security Against Digital Breakdowns” workshop, organized by the University of Cyprus, a partner of the R2D2 Project. This workshop is part of the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Cyber Security and Resilience (IEEE CSR), taking place in Chania, Crete, from August 4–6, 2025.
Why Cyber-Physical Resilience Matters
Critical infrastructures—such as energy, communications, banking, transportation, and public services—are the foundation of modern economies. As these systems become more interconnected, ensuring their resilience against cyber and physical threats is more urgent than ever.
Call for Papers
The CSR CYPRES Workshop is now accepting high-quality research papers from funded cybersecurity and resilience projects. Prospective authors are encouraged to submit previously unpublished contributions from a broad range of topics, which include but are not limited to the following:
- Emergency communication systems for first responders and citizens
- Interdependencies modelling and cascading effects analysis
- Cybersecurity anomaly and intrusion detection and mitigation
- Applications for citizen preparedness
- Use cases, pilot trials, and living labs for crisis and disaster management
- Policy recommendations for enhanced civil protection planning
- Crisis and disaster management across different critical sectors
- for threat modelling and vulnerability assessment
- Methodologies for critical asset management during digital breakdowns
- Digital Twins, simulation engines, and scenario creation tools
- Risk estimation and impact assessment
- Ethical, Legal and Societal Aspects (ELSA) for resilience
Important Dates
Paper submission deadline: April 14, 2025
Authors’ notification: May 5, 2025
Camera-ready submission: May 26, 2025
Registration deadline (authors): May 26, 2025
Workshop dates: August 4–6, 2025
Submission Guidelines
Submitted manuscripts should not exceed 6 pages (plus 2 extra pages, being subject to overlength page charges) and should be of sufficient detail to be evaluated by expert reviewers in the field. The workshop’s proceedings will be published by IEEE and will be included in IEEE Xplore subject to meeting IEEE Xplore’s scope and quality requirements.
The guidelines for authors, manuscript preparation guidelines, and policies of the IEEE CSR conference are applicable to CYPRES workshop. Please visit the authors’ instructions page for more details. When submitting your manuscript via the conference management system, please make sure that the workshop’s track 2T6 CYPRES is selected in the Topic Areas drop down list.
More information & submission guidelines: IEEE CSR CYPRES Workshop
Further information:
info@r2d2project.eu
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101075714.
Championing Resilient Energy Systems: Mathaios Panteli and the R2D2 Project
Championing Resilient Energy Systems: Mathaios Panteli and the R2D2 Project
In an era where extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent and severe, ensuring the resilience of our power systems is more critical than ever. At the forefront of this mission is Mathaios Panteli from the University of Cyprus (UCY), a key contributor to the R2D2 project.
The R2D2 project is an initiative focused on developing advanced tools to assess and enhance the spatial and temporal resilience of power systems. These tools are essential for understanding and mitigating the impacts of extreme weather on energy infrastructure, ensuring that power systems remain robust and adaptable in the face of unforeseen challenges.
Mathaios Panteli plays a pivotal role in this innovative effort, leveraging his expertise to design solutions that safeguard critical infrastructure and support the transition toward a sustainable and secure energy future. His work exemplifies how academic research and technological innovation can come together to address pressing global challenges.
Watch now this video.
Further information:
info@r2d2project.eu
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101075714.
The Latest R2D2 Newsletter and Exciting Updates
The Latest R2D2 Newsletter and Exciting Updates
Have You Received Our Latest Newsletter? If you haven’t received our newsletter yet, or if you haven’t subscribed, now’s the perfect time. You can sign up here. And to get you started, we have a special Christmas gift: our latest newsletter packed with updates and valuable insights!
What Can You Expect Inside?
Here’s a sneak peek at what’s in our newest issue:
- Project Status Update: Find out where the R2D2 project stands as we approach its final year. Learn about the milestones we’ve achieved and what we’re looking forward to in the coming months.
- Tool Development and Validation: Dive into the details of our ongoing work on tool development and validation. These tools are designed to bolster resilience and ensure the security of critical infrastructure.
- Resilience Against Natural Disasters and Advanced Persistent Threats (APT): Discover our work focused on enhancing the resilience of power systems against extreme weather conditions and persistent cyber threats.
Webinars and Highlights You Don’t Want to Miss
We’re also offering replays of some insightful sessions that you can watch at your convenience:
- Webinar on AI in Critical Infrastructure Protection: Join us as we recap our participation in this event, organized by the EU-CIP Project in collaboration with the ECSCI cluster. Explore how AI is transforming the protection of critical infrastructure.
- Session on the R2D2 Tool for Enhancing the Security of Energy Systems: Led by George Aslanidis and Kostas Papadatos from CyberNoesis, this session highlights the innovative R2D2 tool and its potential to improve energy system security.
- Interview with Mathaios Panteli: Watch this engaging conversation with Mathaios Panteli from the University of Cyprus (UCY), who shares how R2D2 is strengthening power systems to withstand the impacts of extreme weather.
- Introduction to the IRIS Tool and Over-Frequency Protection Tool: Learn about the IRIS Tool (Resilience suite for TSO & DSO) and its Over-Frequency Protection Tool, designed to enhance the operational resilience of energy systems.
Read the newsletter here.
Further information:
info@r2d2project.eu
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101075714.
R2D2 at the Upcoming Webinar on Standards and Policies in Critical Infrastructure Protection
R2D2 at the Upcoming Webinar on Standards and Policies in Critical Infrastructure Protection
On December 10th, R2D2 will participate in the webinar “Fortifying the Future: How EU R&D Projects Shape Standards and Policies in Critical Infrastructure Protection”, organized by the ATLANTIS project, EU-CIP project, and European Cluster for Securing Critical Infrastructures (ECSCI).
This webinar will spotlight the significant role of EU research and development initiatives in shaping standards and influencing policies for critical infrastructure protection. It will provide insights into recent policy developments, highlight good practices drawn from project results, and showcase EU tools and facilities such as the Horizon Booster. Participants will also learn from the experiences and achievements of notable EU projects, including R2D2, ATLANTIS, NEMECYS, EU-CIP, InfraStress, SUNRISE, and IRIS-SKILLLAB.
R2D2’s presentation will focus on its methodology for identifying gaps in legislation and standards, which are then validated with pilot sites during the demonstration phase. The presentation will also highlight initial insights gained from questionnaires submitted by project partners. Special emphasis will be placed on the NIS2 Directive and the new Critical Infrastructure Resilience Directive, emphasizing their significance in enhancing critical infrastructure policies across Europe.
This webinar offers an excellent opportunity to learn from leading experts in the field, explore the latest innovations, and gain a deeper understanding of how EU projects are shaping the future of critical infrastructure protection.
Registration is open here.
Further information:
info@r2d2project.eu
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101075714.