Digital transformation is continuously reshaping France’s strategic industries, such as Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), which aim to deliver safer and more efficient mobility, and Industrial Control Systems (ICS), a cornerstone of the industry of the future. This transformation is characterized by an accelerated convergence of the IT (Information Technology) and OT (Operational Technology) worlds, driven by the massive deployment of connected industrial devices (IIoT – Industrial Internet of Things), increasing upstream data flows (from devices to the cloud) and downstream command/control flows (from the cloud to devices). This convergence introduces new cybersecurity challenges.

Through its Cybelia program, the Institute aims to provide solutions to these emerging threats. This multi-partner, multi-sector R&I program focuses on enhancing shared situational awareness between cyber and operational teams to support better decision-making, strengthening the autonomous decision-making capabilities of mobile systems through trustworthy AI, and enabling secure, trusted collaboration across the extended enterprise.

A unique approach to cybersecurity

Security requirements must be embedded from the earliest design phases of industrial products and services. This is why our R&D teams have adopted a holistic and pragmatic approach to ensure end-to-end security across the entire lifecycle of systems and throughout industrial value chains.

Inspired by the NIST framework, this approach enables the efficient implementation of the methods and tools essential for developing, maturing, validating, and transferring innovative technological components into industrial processes.

Our strategy is built on a key differentiator: developing solutions tailored to specific industrial use cases, with a focus on reusability by the broader community.

Results with national and European impact

To date, we have supported more than 30 major players in the French industrial sector. Sharing our expertise, experience, and assets (software, platforms, datasets, etc.) creates tangible value and is a major differentiator for our partners’ R&I initiatives.

Our work has gained European recognition, with over five R&I projects and programs funded by the European Commission. At the national level, our positioning complements other initiatives under the French government’s National Cybersecurity Acceleration Strategy, such as the PEPR (Priority Research Equipment and Programs) and the PTCC (Transfer Program to the Cyber Campus).

Tangible impacts on industrial partners

As a technological research institute, our core mission is to deliver concrete solutions that address industry needs. To support French industry in the face of cyber threats, our ambition is structured around three strategic pillars:

• Deploying our R&I capabilities across major themes driving the digital transformation of industry and society: intelligent mobility and transport, the industry of the future, defense, and security.

• Providing pre-industrial demonstrator platforms, combining software-based simulation capabilities (business applications, attack libraries, synthetic environments, datasets, etc.) with hardware-based emulation tools (industrial PLCs, embedded processors, sensors, etc.) to accelerate the transfer of innovation into operational environments.

• Raising awareness and strengthening skills among key industrial stakeholders through targeted training offers. Leveraging our cyber-physical platforms and in-depth knowledge of industrial challenges, we offer an innovative training engineering approach that goes beyond traditional formats and delivers greater impact, aligning with operational needs and constraints.

Our vision for the future of cybersecurity

We strongly believe that industry stakeholders must seize the opportunities offered by the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. So far, AI has neither been fully exploited nor widely adopted by cybersecurity experts. A lack of trust in AI algorithms, limited performance, and skills shortages have long hindered its integration into cyber defense capabilities. However, AI is poised to play a major role in redefining the balance between attack and defense. We have already identified and are actively addressing the new cybersecurity challenges arising from the rise of AI in industrial contexts.

We also advocate for the creation of a shared cybersecurity knowledge base, including datasets, attack scenario libraries, and cryptographic repositories. We are convinced that knowledge, tools, expertise, and best practices must be shared among all cybersecurity actors. Collective resilience at national and European levels is the only way to effectively defend against cyber threats.

The IRT SystemX advantage: a unique innovation model

For over 10 years, IRT SystemX has stood out in the French cybersecurity landscape by leading multi-partner, multi-sector R&I projects. Our unique positioning at the crossroads of industry and academia enables us to address real-world use cases and deliver tailored solutions. Our transferable assets offer a practical response to the key industrial challenges brought on by digitalization.

By combining hands-on experience with awareness-raising actions, we ensure effective deployment of cybersecurity solutions. Partnering with SystemX means joining a rich ecosystem of industrial and academic partners with a wide range of scientific and technological expertise.

[1] National Institute of Standards and Technology

Focus

Cybelia: A Strategic R&D Program Built by and for Industry

Launched in 2024 for a duration of four years, the Cybelia program was co-designed by a consortium of industrial players — including Airbus Protect, Naval Group, Nexter, Oversoc, Renault, RTE, Safran, SNCF, Thales, and Valeo — in collaboration with IRT SystemX. The program addresses the resilience needs of these key actors in the face of growing cyber threats through an integrative approach built around real industrial use cases.

Its core ambitions are twofold:

• To develop enhanced cybersecurity solutions for industry, leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence,

• And to create an open cyber asset base for the national ecosystem, through the provision of software components and technology bricks.

Cybelia is fully aligned with the French national cybersecurity acceleration strategy, initiated by the government under the France 2030 plan, with the aim of strengthening national sovereignty and fostering innovation in the cybersecurity domain.