Matteo Spada von der School of Engineering der ZHAW erhält mit seinem Projekt «Integrated Framework for Smart City Economic Resilience Assessment (IF-SCERA)” eine Projektförderung durch das Swiss Re Institute und den Axa Research Fund. Zusammen mit einem Kollegen des Paul Scherrer Instituts (PSI) sowie der Stadt Winterthur als Praxispartnerin wird Matteo Spada in den nächsten 18 Monaten u.a. an Cyber-Risiken für die städtische Kritische Infrastruktur und deren Resilienz forschen.
Das Swiss Re Institute und der Axa Research Fund lancierten Ende 2023 den ersten Call im ihres neuen, gemeinsamen Förderprogramms «Joint Risk Resilience Partnership». Dieser erste Call hatte das Thema “Funding Research on Systemic Risks”. Dabei wurde das Projekt «Integrated Framework for Smart City Economic Resilience Assessment (IF-SCERA)” von Matteo Spada (Institut für Nachhaltige Entwicklung an der School of Engineering) und Luca Podofillini vom Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) als eines von zwei Projekten mit EUR 150’000 gefördert. Es ist dies das erste Mal, dass ein Projekt der ZHAW vom Axa Research Fund finanziert wird. Matteo Spada gibt nachfolgend einen Einblick in das Projekt und verrät Details zur Antragstellung (auf Englisch).
Matteo, your project is about cyber threats to the electrical grid, where digitalization is becoming pervasive, to gain in efficiency and control. In your opinion, what were the decisive factors that led to you being funded?
Matteo Spada: Several factors likely contributed to the acceptance of the proposal. First and foremost, the proposed framework is general and adaptable to contexts beyond cyber threats, such as natural events (e.g., heatwaves, floods) or technical disruptions. This versatility enhances its appeal. Additionally, the multi-dimensional perspective is a significant advantage from an industrial standpoint. While the project focuses on the economic dimension, the proposed index is designed to be extensible to other domains, such as social and environmental aspects, broadening its applicability and relevance. Another critical factor is the application of the framework to a real-world case study—the city of Winterthur. This practical approach aligns with the interests of both the AXA Research Fund and the Swiss Re Institute, as it bridges the gap between research and actionable, real-world applicability. A purely theoretical concept would have been less compelling for these stakeholders. Lastly, the involvement of Swiss institutions plays an important role. With the principal investigator based in Winterthur and collaboration with PSI in Villigen, the proximity facilitates seamless interaction with the Swiss Re Institute and ensures strong local engagement, which is particularly valuable to both funders.
How much effort was involved in the project application for this “Joint Risk Resilience Partnership”-Call compared to other calls?
I must admit that I didn’t notice significant differences in preparing this proposal compared to other calls. Of course, there were some distinctions. For instance, compared to a Horizon EU project, this required less effort since the consortium size was much smaller. Similarly, compared to an SNSF project proposal, the effort was lower as this proposal didn’t demand the same level of technical detail and rigor typically required for SNSF. On the other hand, it required more effort than some other calls, such as the calls related to federal offices (e.g., BFE), as those often involve less input.
In summary, the call for proposals and the provided template were very clear in outlining the requirements and how to structure the proposal. The most challenging aspect was likely coordinating with and involving the appropriate departments of the City of Winterthur in the project.
What are the first planned activities and expected results of the project that we will hear about?
The initial activities will focus on abstracting the interdependencies between the power grid network and ICT components within the city of Winterthur, leveraging the Digital Twin of Stadtwerk Winterthur. A second key activity will involve defining potential cyber-related disruptions affecting ICT components, modelling their propagation to the power grid, and assessing the resulting impacts on various sectors (residential, commercial, industrial), critical activities (e.g., hospitals), and essential infrastructure (e.g., water pumps in the water supply network). The first set of results is expected to be presented midway through the project, both internally to Swiss Re and AXA, and externally through a peer-reviewed journal article. This publication will focus on constructing disruption and recovery scenarios based on narratives developed during two planned workshops. These workshops will involve a diverse set of stakeholders, including representatives from Stadtwerk Winterthur, crisis management teams, the Informatics Department, and the Financial Department of the City of Winterthur.
Weitere Informationen:
Dr. Matteo Spada, Institut für Nachhaltige Entwicklung der ZHAW