Cyberagentur publishes expression of interest procedure for the “Updating and Certification of Complex Systems” (AkoS) program.
The Agentur für Innovation in der Cybersicherheit GmbH (Cyberagentur) has published the expression of interest procedure for AkoS. Perspectives from science and practice are being sought so that complex systems can be quickly and securely updated and certified in their entirety in the future.
The aim of the planned research program “Updating and Certification of Complex Systems” (AkoS) is to identify new approaches with which safety-critical complex systems can be updated more quickly, tested more comprehensively and certified more efficiently.
Complex systems consist of a number of subsystems (system of systems). Their safety does not only result from the safety of individual components, but also from the interaction of these components, their interfaces, dependencies and possible interactions. Such dependencies can have a significant impact on cyber security, particularly in security-critical areas such as maritime systems used by the German armed forces like frigates or critical infrastructures like power plants.
The initial situation is a structural problem: critical systems are subject to strict regulations and certification requirements. At the same time, certification and recertification processes are often time-consuming and resource-intensive. In practice, this can lead to already certified systems not being updated or only being updated with a delay in order to avoid renewed testing procedures. However, this is precisely what creates security risks, as outdated systems can contain known vulnerabilities.
AkoS should therefore address research questions that enable updating and certification quickly, efficiently and safely.
With the expression of interest procedure, the Cyberagentur invites companies, start-ups, universities and research institutions to submit assessments, outlines of ideas and open research questions. The feedback is intended to help sharpen the technical focus of the planned research program and identify additional research needs.
Participation is via an online survey at: https://t1p.de/8ddnp
The publication was also announced on the European Union’s procurement portal: https://ted.europa.eu/de/notice/-/detail/319908-2026
Answers can be submitted up to and including 19.06.2026 (23:59, CEST). The AkoS team will answer any questions about the procedure by e-mail at: akos-ibv@cyberagentur.de.