SONIC at the UNITAR Maritime Cyber Lab 2026
The SONIC project ecosystem continues to extend its impact across critical European and global sectors. We are proud to share that trustilio B.V., the dissemination and communication leader for the SONIC project, was invited to participate in the prestigious Maritime Cyber Lab 2026 – From Risk to Resilience expert forum, convened by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
The high-level, practitioner-oriented event took place from May 27–28, 2026, at the UN House in Brussels, Belgium. trustilio was represented by its CTO, Professor Nineta Polemi, a leading expert in cybersecurity and threat management.
Addressing the Vulnerabilities of Interconnected Global Infrastructure
Organised by UNITAR and the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), with support from the German Federal Foreign Office, the Maritime Cyber Lab 2026 brought together senior CISOs, decision-makers, and stakeholders from across the global maritime ecosystem. Participants included representatives from European institutions, international organisations, ports, shipping companies, maritime insurers, and technology providers.
As global supply chains grow increasingly reliant on complex IT and operational technology (OT) networks, maritime critical infrastructure, such as ports and vessels, faces a rising tide of sophisticated cyber threats. Because these environments are heavily interconnected, a vulnerability in a single node can trigger cascading financial and operational disruptions across the globe.
Aligning with the SONIC Mission
The core focus of the UNITAR forum, moving from risk to structured, practical cyber resilience, strongly mirrors the mission of the SONIC project.
SONIC is dedicated to enhancing the protection of complex, heterogeneous digital infrastructures. By developing innovative technologies and services that enable earlier threat detection, faster incident response, and more robust cyber resilience, SONIC addresses the exact operational vulnerabilities discussed by maritime leaders in Brussels.
Professor Polemi’s participation highlights trustilio’s deep expertise in security governance and capacity building, ensuring that the cutting-edge methodologies and architectures being developed within the SONIC project are aligned with real-world, high-stakes infrastructure requirements.
Driving the Future of Cyber Resilience
Through active collaboration with international bodies like UNITAR and global industry leaders, the SONIC consortium continues to bridge the gap between advanced research and real-world operational needs. Having our partners engage at this level ensures that the security frameworks we develop are directly informed by, and capable of protecting, the world’s most critical digital environments.
🌐 Read the full event overview on the UNITAR Website.
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SONIC has received funding from the European Union’s DIGITAL programme under Grant Agreement No. 101249631. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union.