Focus Areas
The focus is on the themes that advance secure and interoperable power grids
Content focus
The work structure brings security architecture, interoperability, monitoring, digital applications, data infrastructures and transferability together into one coherent picture.
Work structure
Five work packages connect security architecture, interoperability, monitoring, digital applications, data infrastructures and transferability across the project.
A cloud-based interoperability layer with a technology-open metadata model based on IEC 61850 and IEC 61970 connects heterogeneous system landscapes, including IoT, smart metering and secondary systems, without proprietary dependencies or vendor lock-in
Hardware Security Modules (HSM) and Trusted Core Networks (TCN) establish an end-to-end secured, continuously verifiable chain of trust from the field endpoint to the control centre, complemented by Secure-by-Design architectures and endpoint detection and response mechanisms
IoT platforms, smart meter gateway administration (SMGWA) and edge computing enable scalable, real-time-capable data processing that meets regulatory requirements without compromising IT security or data sovereignty
AI-based anomaly detection, real-time load management and flexible resource control are developed as concrete value-added services, tested in simulation, lab and field environments, and evaluated for transferability across different grid contexts
An AI-powered assistance system monitors grid status in real time, detects IT security events and anomalies early, and generates concrete action recommendations for control room operators to respond effectively
All architecture components and services are designed for regulatory compliance and cross-sector transferability. Project results are documented as a replicable blueprint for secure digitalisation across the energy sector
Technical framing
Together they connect system understanding, secure communication and digitally supported grid operations
From sensors and actuators to grid control systems, data and communication relationships in the power grid are becoming denser
Digital infrastructures must balance scalability, latency constraints, security requirements and regulatory conditions at the same time
Without shared models and clear interfaces, new applications often get stuck at proprietary system boundaries
Prevention, monitoring, attack detection and response need to work together if digitalisation is to remain robust
Solar, wind, storage and flexibility assets are fundamentally changing the distribution grid and require new control architectures built for bidirectional data flows
The IT Security Act, the KRITIS umbrella law and NIS2 create concrete obligations for grid operators whose technical measures must be demonstrable, scalable and robust under regulatory scrutiny
System landscape
Project logic
Threat modelling, requirements analysis and security architecture based on real-world KRITIS energy scenarios. Attack vectors are identified and the Secure-by-Design concept for the full system landscape is established
Data flows and interfaces are designed using open protocols (IEC 61850, IEC 60870-5-104, MQTT) and a vendor-agnostic interoperability data model. TCN anchors security across the communication chain
HSM and TCN are integrated into field devices, cloud components and control systems. An AI-powered monitoring and assistance system detects anomalies early and generates preventive and reactive action recommendations
Cloud-based value-added services for real-time load management and flexibility control of distributed resources are developed as proof-of-concept and assessed for regulatory compliance
Architecture and services are evaluated in simulation, lab and real field test environments at operational grid operators for practicability, scalability and transferability across grid contexts
