The OPTIMIST programme sets the ambitious aim to develop a modular end-to-end service platform tailored to the optimized delivery of personalised video content in 5G mobile networks, providing one of the first world-wide implementations of MEC-enabled service provisioning in 5G networks that is fully compatible with the emerging ETSI/3GPP reference architectures. To achieve this, the OPTIMIST service platform will design and implement different MEC services, which are currently studied in an isolated fashion in current literature, (e.g. edge network caching exploiting edge storage resources, video transcoding and data-driven content popularity prediction exploiting edge processing resources, optimized video content placement and delivery exploiting the new 5G radio capabilities), in the form of virtual network functions (VNFs) that are instantiated and optimized on-the-fly to construct a video service chain that is designed to meet the personalized requirements of 5G mobile video consumers. To formalize the integration of MEC capabilities into the operation of 5G mobile networks, the OPTIMIST service platform will be fully aligned with the existing and forthcoming standardization activities in the areas of MEC and 5G networks (ETSI MEC and 3GPP); thus, maximizing the impact of the project in the long-term both in terms of academic results (new methodological tools and algorithmic innovations) and market products (deliver specific products / services that will enhance the portfolio of industrial partners). To this end, OPTIMIST will leverage state-of-the-art (SotA) technologies in MEC-empowered service provisioning, data-driven service control and automation, QoE-driven dynamic adaptive video streaming over HTTP (DASH), GPS-free localization and machine learning (ML) for wireless communications.

The rapid evolution of ICT has revealed the potential for centrally monitoring, controlling, and optimising the power grid. In this context, a more intelligent, responsive, and efficient, system has been devised, known as the Smart Grid (SG). As explained in the EU Third Energy Package the SG will support a dynamic two-way information exchange between utility companies and their customers, contributing towards a smart and sustainable energy management in Europe and the establishment of a wiser energy consumption mentality. However, besides the benefits of such an endeavour, the power grid will be exposed to security threats inherited from the ICT sector, while privacy issues and new vulnerabilities, related to the specific characteristics of the SG infrastructure, will emerge. The problem is assessed as crucial, if we consider that a potential attack to the SG may lead to cascading failures, ranging from destruction of other interconnected critical infrastructures to loss of human lives. Thus, the development of a security platform tailored to the SG is required, that i) can efficiently manage the plethora of SG nodes, ii) deal with potential malicious hardware or software modifications due to the physical access of the customers to the SG nodes, and iii) operate over heterogeneous systems. Considering all the above, SealedGRID aims at bringing together experts from industry and academia from cross-sectorial research areas having complementary background with the long-term goal to design, analyse, and implement a scalable, highly trusted and interoperable SG security platform. The platform will combine, for the very first time, technologies like Blockchain, Distributed Hash Tables, Trusted Execution Environments, and OpenID Connect, while for its realization the SealedGRID consortium is committed to a fully-integrated and multi-disciplinary secondment programme combined with a set of networking, dissemination, and exploitation activities.

Towards the forthcoming transition to a fully connected world (e.g., Internet of Senses, digital twins), support of connected intelligence requires service advertisement, discovery, negotiation and management that goes beyond the complexity and scalability that existing technologies and subscription-driven MNO processes can handle. In Beyond 5G (B5G) networks, cyber-physical assets and intelligent end points will be capable of translating current service requirements to comprehensive technical specifications dynamically (e.g., QoS/QoE management per service chunk) as well as request for full customization of their service terms in line with current availability of tenants/resources and their application requirements. Distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) hold the key for natively disintermediated, cost-efficient, and anonymous B5G communications, enabling transparency and trust to be established across the integrated DLT, radio access and core network continuum. The SOVEREIGN research programme aims to fuel artificial intelligence (AI) with DLT-backed data in order to innovate the B5G service chain and the B5G protocol stack towards the support of fully decentralized, instantaneous, and anonymous resource trading across the B5G network ecosystem (end terminals, infrastructure, OTT service providers, etc.). SOVEREIGN aims to empower intelligent end points in B5G networks, to gain full control of their identities, connectivity, sessions, service terms, and shared data upon accessing B5G spectrum, antennas, network slices and services. To this end, SOVEREIGN will conceptualize and develop a modular end-to-end service architecture integrating DLT-empowered service provisioning, fully decentralized AAA operations, forward-thinking protocols for self-sovereign identity management and anonymity/data privacy preservation as well as user-driven AI-enabled mobility management and traffic steering over joint DLT/B5G system infrastructures.

The overarching goal of INCOGNITO is to combine state-of-the-art technologies in a platform that will allow users to easily understand what is needed to access online services with respect to their privacy and be able to prove specific attributes of their identity or their whole identity. We build on top of the framework that is being developed under the ReCRED project where we use advanced mobile software in order to convert online and physical identity proofs into validated and cryptographically strong proofs of identities that can be used for getting access to Online Services. INCOGNITO has the following objectives: 1.Design and implement an infrastructure that supports qualified anonymity (QA) by leveraging state of the art cryptographic credentials schemes as well as Federated Login solutions. 2.Design and implement an Identity Acquisition and Management platform that will allow the user to quickly and securely acquire identity attributes from Physical ID documents and Online Identities. 3.Design and implement an advanced UI/UX AI-based assistant that will guide and inform the user about aspects of his identity management as well as possible actions to take. 4.Evaluate the results of the project through two pilot activities. To achieve these objectives an inter-sectorial and interdisciplinary secondment program for Experienced and Early Stage Researchers that fosters knowledge exchange is proposed. Academic partners will offer their expertise on online identity acquisition and management, machine-learning algorithms and user experience assessment. Industry partners will offer their expertise on state-of-the-art IT security technologies, production-grade development processes, exposure to industrial research environment and relevant business issues and data.

SECONDO addresses the question “How can decisions about cyber security investments and cyber insurance pricing be optimised?” SECONDO will support professionals who seek cyber security investments, developed to support human decision making, and a complete well-founded security strategy. This is a timely research problem, as the rapid growth of cyber-attacks is expected to continue its upwards trajectory. Such growth presents a prominent threat to normal business operations and the EU society itself. On the other hand, an interesting, well-known, finding is that an organisation's computer systems may be less secure than a competitor's, despite having spent more money in securing them. Budget setting, cyber security investment choices and cyber insurance, in the face of uncertainties, are highly challenging tasks with massive business implications. SECONDO aims to make impact on the operation of EU businesses who often: (i) have a limited cyber security budget; and (ii) ignore the importance of cyber insurance. Cyber insurance can play a critical role to the mitigation of cyber risk. This can be done by imposing a cost on firms' cyber risk through a premium that they have to pay and the potential for paying a smaller premium should they reduce their current cyber security risk. SECONDO has a cross-disciplinary nature, combining mathematical and engineering insights to empower innovative software. Apart from the novel research results, the project will offer a software platform to narrow the gap between theoretical understanding and practice. To achieve this, the four industrial project partners will i) lead the part of the project where industrial needs will be entered as input to the requirements collection phase, and, ii) provide their innovative software for risk assessment. The three academic partners will work together to i) design and thoroughly describe the proposed methodologies, but also ii) contribute to their software development.