A Strong Impulse for a More Resilient Lower Saxony
The new center will become a flagship project for industrial cybersecurity in Lower Saxony, building on CISPA’s longstanding excellence in research, knowledge transfer, and education. It will address current and future threats to businesses, critical infrastructure, and public institutions.
“IT security is not optional—it’s a fundamental requirement for innovation, competitiveness, and societal stability,” says Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Backes, Founding Director and CEO of CISPA. “We are excited to deepen our successful collaboration with Leibniz University Hannover through this new center. Together, we can elevate research, education, and excellence-driven technology transfer to the next level—to protect both citizens and industrial infrastructure in Lower Saxony and beyond.”
Bridging Research and Practice
CISPA contributes not only its internationally recognized expertise in cybersecurity research to the collaboration, but also its experience dealing with real-world threat scenarios. The center’s interdisciplinary approach will take into account technological, organizational, and human factors—from hardware and network security to AI-driven threat detection and the behavior of users and developers.
“Cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated—no single actor can face them alone,” explains Prof. Dr. Sascha Fahl, lead scientist at CISPA’s Hanover site. “With the new center, we’re creating a platform where academia, industry, and government can learn, conduct research, and act together—from prevention to crisis response.”
Background
The Leibniz Center for Industrial Security is part of a large-scale funding initiative under zukunft.niedersachsen, the joint science program of the Lower Saxony state government and the Volkswagen Foundation. In the current round, the foundation’s board is providing a total of 147.5 million euros for innovative projects—including initiatives in quantum research, the humanities and social sciences, and battery technology. The partnership with CISPA is seen as a key component in strengthening Lower Saxony’s digital resilience.
About CISPA
The CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security is a national large-scale research institution within the Helmholtz Association. It conducts research into all facets of information security to comprehensively address the major challenges of cybersecurity and trustworthy artificial intelligence in our increasingly digital society. CISPA holds a global leadership position in cybersecurity by combining cutting-edge, often disruptive basic research with innovative applied research, technology transfer, and public engagement. Its research spans the full spectrum from theoretical to empirical approaches. Internationally, CISPA is widely regarded as a leading training ground for the next generation of cybersecurity experts and scientific leaders in the field.
