The InnoGuard project, a European Union initiative funded through the MSCA Doctoral Networks, is dedicated to advancing Accountable Cyber-Physical Systems (ACPS). As part of its ongoing commitment to excellence in research and collaboration, the project recently held its 2025 InnoGuard Summer School, hosted at Simula in Oslo.
This week-long programme brought together the project’s PhD candidates and supervisors for a dynamic curriculum designed to accelerate technical expertise, foster high-impact research, and strengthen professional networks.
🤝 Building a Collaborative Foundation
The summer school opened with a presentation on the InnoGuard project’s strategic goals and consortium-wide objectives, delivered by Project Coordinator Aitor Arrieta. This was followed by team-building activities led by Sebastiano Panichella and Miren Ivankovic, laying the groundwork for collaboration across the international student cohort.
🛠️ Bridging Technical Skills with Theory
One of the key technical highlights was the “Hands-on with LeoRover” session led by Chenglie Lu and Pablo Valle. Participants engaged directly with ROS (Robot Operating System) programming, gaining valuable hands-on experience in robotics and autonomous systems—core areas for the InnoGuard project.
Complementing these technical sessions, Pablo Sanchez delivered a workshop on effective dissemination strategies, and Miren Ivankovic conducted a session on network development, equipping students with tools for collaboration and increased scientific visibility.
🧭 Research Leadership: Ethics and Career Strategy
Ivano Malavolta, who is also a member of the S2 Group, led an engaging session and lab on ethics in research, reinforcing the importance of responsible research conduct throughout the doctoral journey.
Further sessions supported long-term academic career development. Miren Ivankovic provided a deep dive into the structure and expectations of the InnoGuard doctoral programme. This was followed by a talk from Aitor Arrieta on “Online positioning on research and research lookout tools,” offering practical guidance on navigating the academic ecosystem.
🏭 Connecting Research with Industry
A standout feature of the programme was the “Visiting Industrialist – DNV” session presented by Shaukat Ali, Simula Chief Research Scientist and Research Professor. This session offered valuable insights into how academic research translates into real-world industrial impact.
Each PhD student presented their research plans to the DNV team, establishing direct dialogue and feedback on the industrial relevance of their work on ACPS. These interactions were followed by ideation workshops, co-led by Aitor Arrieta and Shaukat Ali, where students collaboratively developed and refined innovative research ideas.
🧠 Empowering the Next Generation
The 2025 InnoGuard Summer School successfully advanced the consortium’s mission—equipping doctoral candidates with essential skills, building a robust research network, and promoting research that bridges academic excellence with real-world relevance.
Two members of the S2 Group actively contributed to the event:
- Ivano Malavolta, who led the ethics session
- Bouazza El Moutaouakil, who participated as a doctoral researcher within the InnoGuard project
📖 Source:
Adapted from the official article published by Simula:
“The Next Generation of Innovators: Inside the 2025 InnoGuard Summer School”