Gas Networks Ireland partakes in €4 million cross border cybersecurity initiative

Research project will build resilience of critical energy infrastructure.

Gas Networks Ireland is the industry partner in CyberUnite, a landmark €4 million cross border research project led by the University of Limerick (UL) under the North South Research Programme. The initiative will enhance the resilience and security of critical infrastructure across the island of Ireland through innovative and adaptive cybersecurity solutions. 

The project was announced by Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless TD as part of a €16 million allocation for four major cross border research collaborations between higher education institutions in the Republic and Northern Ireland.

Announcing the funding, Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD said: “Deepening cooperation between higher education institutions and researchers on a cross border basis to conduct research of economic and social benefit to the whole island is a key priority of the Government’s Shared Island Initiative”.

Funded by the Higher Education Authority as part of the Government’s Shared Island strategy, CyberUnite brings together a world-class consortium of researchers and industry partners from both sides of the border. Academic partners include UL, Queen’s University Belfast, Munster Technological University and University College Cork.

Gas Network’s Ireland Director of Business Services Ian O’Flynn, said:

“Gas Networks Ireland is proud to support the CyberUnite initiative led by the University of Limerick under the North South Research Programme. This ambitious project exemplifies the power of cross border collaboration, bringing together academic institutions and industry partners to strengthen the resilience and security of critical infrastructure across the island of Ireland.

“CyberUnite focuses on innovative approaches to adaptive and resilient cybersecurity, with direct relevance to Ireland’s gas infrastructure. By creating virtual models of our infrastructure and testing them in simulated cyber environments, the initiative helps us better understand new threats and improve how we protect our systems and infrastructure.

“We welcome the opportunity to work alongside leading researchers and institutions in this partnership, and we look forward to contributing to the development of cutting edge solutions that benefit both communities and the energy sector.”

The programme will focus on protecting vital cross border infrastructure from evolving cyber threats by creating virtual models of key systems and testing them in simulated cyber environments. For Gas Networks Ireland, this research is particularly relevant given the scale and importance of Ireland’s gas network, which includes over 14,700km of pipeline in the Republic of Ireland and significant infrastructure in Northern Ireland.

The research will strengthen cybersecurity capacity across the island, protect critical infrastructure, and contribute to a unified all island research ecosystem.