Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Greek basketball player. He grew up under difficult conditions, selling small items on the street with his brothers as a child, yet still dreaming of a career in professional sports. Years later, he won the NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player twice.
But success is fragile. In 2023, his team’s season ends in the semifinals of the playoffs. Shortly after the loss, Antetokounmpo faces the press. A journalist asks him whether he sees the season as a failure. His answer is calm, almost thoughtful. Success, he says, is not about winning a title every year. Success means working, learning, and taking responsibility, for yourself, for others, and for your future. Not every step leads directly to the goal, but every step is part of the journey.
This mindset also shapes Technology Transfer at CISPA.
Turning research results into a product does not happen overnight. Ideas need time to grow. Decisions are not always easy. That is why it is important to keep going.
At CISPA, Farah Elshenawy and Nazlıgül Keske are walking this path. The two computer scientists have developed GuardSphere, a product that focuses on an often overlooked but critical area: the security of industrial and medical systems—from machines and industrial robots to power grids and transportation infrastructure. GuardSphere simulates targeted cyberattacks to identify vulnerabilities before they can cause real damage.
This is more than a technical project. It is a contribution to the security of our economy and society.
In our GuardSphere series, we tell this story, from the first idea and key turning points to the people in Technology Transfer who provide support behind the scenes. It is about entrepreneurship as a journey. It is about impact that begins long before milestones are reached.
Read Part 2 of the GuardSphere series: How Technology Transfer supports the journey from idea to impact.