Research institutions increasingly depend on connected laboratory systems, digital research platforms, international partnerships and the secure exchange of sensitive information.

This regional workshop will bring together laboratory, research and IT professionals from Serbia and Bulgaria to strengthen institutional research-security and cyberbiosecurity practices.

Participants will develop practical knowledge in cyber hygiene, incident response, intellectual-property protection, due diligence for international collaborations and the safeguarding of sensitive research. The workshop will emphasise actionable approaches that participants can adapt and integrate into their own institutional operations.

Key Themes

Cyberbiosecurity and emerging threats in bioscience

Examine how cyber risks can affect modern bioscience research, laboratory operations, research data and institutional resilience.

Protecting sensitive research data and intellectual property

Explore practical approaches to protecting valuable information, research results, institutional knowledge and intellectual property.

Incident response and institutional resilience

Consider how research organizations can prepare for, identify and respond to security incidents while maintaining essential operations.

Due diligence and Know-Your-Collaborator practices

Strengthen institutional approaches to evaluating prospective collaborators and managing risks in international research relationships.

Research security and trusted international collaboration

Support responsible scientific cooperation while protecting people, institutions, sensitive information and valuable research.

Who should participate?

Participation is intended for institutions in Serbia and Bulgaria that can nominate representatives from both laboratory/research and IT/cybersecurity functions.

Each participating institution should nominate at least:

One laboratory or research representative

Relevant profiles may include:

• laboratory managers;

• principal investigators and researchers;

• biosafety or biosecurity personnel;

• quality-management personnel;

• laboratory data or research-infrastructure personnel;

• professionals responsible for sensitive research activities.

One IT or cybersecurity representative

Relevant profiles may include:

• IT managers and system administrators;

• cybersecurity or information-security personnel;

• data-protection and information-governance personnel;

• laboratory information-system administrators;

• professionals responsible for institutional digital infrastructure.

Both representatives should come from the same institution or laboratory so that they can jointly translate workshop learning into institutional practice.