Modern societies rely on critical infrastructure like energy grids, communication networks, and urban services, system that are built to be increasingly smart, interconnected and efficient. As the interdependencies grow, the same central connectively designed to improve performance introduces vulnerability and risks. Cyberattacks can target centralized control. Network disruptions can isolate entire regions. A single failure can trigger cascading effects across sectors. When that happens, local intelligence must takeover and infrastructure must continue without disruption.

Today’s systems however aren’t built for that. They were never built to stand alone.

Today’s infrastructures struggle to operate when disconnected. Edge nodes lack the intelligence to act independently. Operators are left without reliable support. Essential services slow down, or stop precisely when they are needed most. Recent large-scale outages and disruptions have made one thing clear - resilience cannot be an afterthought.

This is where the RESCUE project begins: It develops advanced edge computing, AI-driven anomaly detection and robust communication networks to keep Europe’s energy grids, cities, and vital services running — even when disruptions strike. By integrating diverse sensor data, strengthening multi-channel connectivity, and employing AI for predictive insights, RESCUE ensures that infrastructure systems can detect, classify, and respond to threats autonomously.

Our work at HFC focuses on ensuring that resilience is not just a technical capability, but a human one. We place operators and users at the center, making sure that the systems designed remain understandable, usable, and trustworthy. Through human factors research, usability evaluation, and collaboration with operators, we aid this development process by translating their needs and requirements into actionable insights.

Then, through the development lifecycle of the system, we work to align innovation with reality, engaging stakeholders, integrating societal expectations, and ensuring compliance with European standards and values. Thus, enabling that what is developed can be adopted across Europe. Because resilience only works if it is accepted and used.

At the end, resilience is not longer an abstract goal. Systems can adapt, operators remain in control, and essential services continue, even when disruption occurs.

From 2025 to 2028, RESCUE’s solutions will set new standards for critical infrastructure resilience, paving the way for safer and more dependable smart city and energy systems. The project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme (grant agreement No. 101225910).

Porject-Website: https://rescueproject.eu