Essex to help develop self-healing infrastructure

Essex researchers are set to join a multimillion Euro project to develop self-healing infrastructure which will keep essential services and networks running in times of major crisis.

The SAFARI project team will aim to develop this self-healing tool using artificial intelligence (AI), which will be able to protect hospitals, ports and energy grids from cascading failures caused by cyber threats, natural disasters and large-scale disruptions.

Essex has secured approximately £660,000 in funding for the prestigious €5 million Horizon Europe project, which brings together an international consortium of leading academic and industry partners including University College London (UCL), Fraunhofer, and Turkcell.

The University of Essex will hold a central leadership position within the project, with Dr Muge Sayit, of the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, serving as Technical Lead for the entire consortium alongside colleague Professor Nikolaos Thomos and Institute for Analytics and Data Science Director, Professor Haris Mouratidis.

SAFARI will harness advanced artificial intelligence to help critical infrastructures anticipate threats, adapt in real time and continue operating even under extreme conditions or partial network failures.

Dr Sayit said: "Securing this funding in such a highly competitive call is a significant endorsement of the University of Essex's pioneering research in AI and data analysis.

"As our critical infrastructures - from energy grids to healthcare systems - become increasingly interconnected, the risk of cascading failures grows. Through the SAFARI project, we are leading a global effort to develop 'self-healing' AI mechanisms that can anticipate threats and ensure essential services remain operational, even during major crises.

"This leadership role underscores Essex's commitment to delivering high-impact technological solutions for real-world security challenges."

As part of its contribution, Essex will lead a core work package focused on developing AI-driven "self-healing" mechanisms.

Researchers will create predictive decision-support and machine learning technologies capable of enabling systems to respond autonomously to threats and recover rapidly when disruptions occur.

The research will be applied across four strategically important sectors, including energy, telecommunications, maritime security and smart healthcare.