The PECS team, made up of academics and researchers from the University of Catania and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy, is focused on advancing security and privacy-enhancing technologies. In the interview, they discuss their multidisciplinary approach and the team’s work in addressing privacy concerns within the automotive sector.
Can you briefly present your team?
The PECS team is primarily composed of academic individuals specialising in the field of security, who are affiliated with the University of Catania and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, both located in Italy. The team is multidisciplinary and consists of professors, researchers, PhD fellows, and undergraduate students. The combined expertise and knowledge enable the team to conduct comprehensive research and development in the area of security, with a particular focus on privacy-enhancing technologies.
How did you come up with this project idea and what benefits will it bring to the end users?
We developed this idea because we have been working on car security for years. It was natural to also consider privacy, especially considering several studies highlighting the automotive sector’s significant privacy issues, particularly regarding user data.
The PECS project is cutting-edge because it adopts a user-centric approach, allowing users to have full control over their privacy preferences. They can determine which types of data can be accessed by which services, and the project also offers obfuscation solutions for the joint computation of the same data.
How is TrustChain supporting your growth and what role does it play for the next steps in your development?
Throughout the project, Trustchain’s support was remarkable, with assigned coaches who guided us on improvements to the solution. The role of TrustChain in the future is hopefully to drive further refinement and integration of the solution we proposed into modern automotive systems.
Why did you apply to the TrustChain call and has your vision changed since then?
We applied to the call because the various privacy objectives of TrustChain OC2 were perfectly aligned with the solution we intended to propose. The nature of being a European project has further pushed us to make this choice, thanks also to the resulting resonance that it could have offered us.
What is the most valuable takeout from the TrustChain project and why was the topic of the Open Call important to you/your team?
Certainly, the possibility of being able to contribute to a real problem. Thanks to this collaboration we have had the opportunity to develop our ideas according to typical development methodologies, as well as giving us the possibility to highlight our cutting-edge solution.
Did you establish collaboration with any of the TrustChain teams or plan for any kind of synergies? If yes, what is the biggest potential in such collaborations?
We happened to interact with them during the project. It would be desirable to be able to further establish contacts especially with those teams that have developed tools that are also close to the ones we used in the development of the PECS project.
What are your expectations regarding the TrustChain software ecosystem and its contribution to the NGI priority areas?
Our expectations for the TrustChain software ecosystem are high, as we believe it has the potential to significantly enhance the NGI priority areas. We expect the ecosystem to provide robust tools and resources that empower users to leverage technology effectively in these priority areas. We hope to see measurable improvements in efficiency, security, and user experience as a result of the contributions from the TrustChain software ecosystem.
What are the next steps for your team?
The next steps of our team aim to make the proposed solution increasingly integrable with automotive systems
What is the message you would give to new and potential applicants to TrustChain Open Calls?
To new and potential applicants, we would encourage you to embrace the opportunity to showcase your innovative ideas and solutions. This is a chance to collaborate with like-minded individuals and gain valuable insights from experienced mentors.
