180 million SEK for research on cyber security

Cyber security is currently a high priority topic in the public debate. WASP is now investing SEK 180 million to strengthen Swedish research in this area. The initiative is made possible through a donation from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

Research in WASP is at the absolute international fore front in many of the underlying technology areas required in cybersecurity, which is a broad area that branches into artificial intelligence and autonomous systems as well as software technology and engineering. There are many application areas of cyber security which are critical in modern society. Attacks on IT infrastructure have been disrupting societal and commercial services during the Covid-19 pandemic, and in recent elections around the world security breaches have made it possible to manipulate information flows. The most recent example is in the ongoing war in Ukraine, which is fought also in the virtual world. 

The fact that WASP has both strong and broad research in cyber security and its underpinning technologies means that we have a unique platform to build upon, says WASP's program director Anders Ynnerman: 

"This donation makes it possible to further strengthen our position in the field and put together constellations of researchers with a strong focus on cyber security. To generate impact both in the short and long term, we will work in close collaboration with stakeholders in business and public administration."

Sara Mazur, Chair of the WASP Board, emphasizes that the strengthening of basic research in cyber security is a long-term strategic investment in which WASP has a key role in Sweden.

"This is an initiative that shows WASP's enabling role in many critical applications in society and industry. With the help of the basic research within WASP, we can contribute to provision of long-term expertise in an area that is playing an increasingly important role in the rapidly changing global situation"
 

Prioritized area in the entire ecosystem

With this financial reinforcement of WASP, cyber security is highlighted as a high priority research area in the program. The program management will now quickly develop a strategy for how the donation has optimal effect within WASP's research ecosystem, Anders Ynnerman explains:

"We will build on the platform that WASP has created, containing nearly 400 doctoral students in the program, 49 recruited researchers from around the world, and academia-industry collaboration arenas and forums."
 

Contacts:

Anders Ynnerman, WASP Program Director
anders.ynnerman@liu.se

Natalie Pintar, Communications officer
natalie.pintar@liu.se
+46 (0)700 89 64 97