Future-proof innovations for digital and physical safety and security

Austrian public sector clients are facing increasingly complex demands in the areas of security and protection. Advancing digitalisation, climate change, and geopolitical as well as economic uncertainties are presenting administrations, municipalities, and public enterprises with new, often interconnected challenges.
Digital Security
In the field of digital security, there has been a marked increase in cyber attacks on public systems. Protecting sensitive data, ensuring operational continuity, and complying with statutory security standards such as GDPR or NIS2 require ongoing technical and organisational adjustments. At the same time, there is a significant need for specialised expertise and interoperable solutions to detect attacks at an early stage and to defend against them effectively.
Physical Protection Against Natural Disasters
The pressure to act in terms of physical protection against natural disasters is steadily increasing. Extreme weather events such as floods, storms, or forest fires are occurring more frequently and are placing a strain on the critical infrastructure of the public sector. Public clients are required to implement early warning systems, monitoring solutions, and coordinated operational structures in order to better manage risks and effectively minimise damage.
Protection of Critical Infrastructure
The protection of critical infrastructure has become increasingly prominent since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Blackouts, terrorist attacks, acts of sabotage, and the novel threat posed by drones present public clients with the challenge of addressing early warning and interception systems, as well as raising the level of protection against blackouts and sabotage.
Resilience of Supply Chains
The security of supply chains is gaining increasing attention. Global crises have clearly highlighted the vulnerability of public procurement and supply systems. Lack of transparency, delivery bottlenecks, and dependencies on international markets can significantly affect the reliable provision of public services.
These challenges make it clear that digital security, physical protection, and supply chain resilience must be considered together. Innovative, networked approaches are required that combine technological, organisational, and ecological aspects. This is the only way to sustainably strengthen the long-term resilience of public administration.

As part of this IÖB Challenge, innovative solutions are being sought that contribute to digital security as well as protection against natural disasters. Technologies and/or services are being sought that help public sector clients to identify risks at an early stage, close security gaps, and respond efficiently to crisis situations.
Submitted solutions may address, among other things, the following areas:
Digital security and cyber resilience
• Protection of public IT infrastructures against digital attacks
• Systems for detecting, defending against, and analysing cyber threats
• Measures to ensure data integrity and network security
Protection of critical infrastructure
• Early warning and defence systems against sabotage and terrorist attacks
• Measures to prepare for a possible blackout
Protection against natural disasters and crisis management
• Early warning and monitoring systems based on sensors, data analysis, or AI
• Digital platforms for coordinating emergency services and resources
• Technologies for the rapid restoration of critical infrastructures
Supply chain resilience
• Technologies to increase transparency and traceability in supply chains
• Solutions for the early detection of risks and bottlenecks in procurement and supply systems
• Digital platforms or tools for the coordination, management, and optimisation of supply chains in the public sector

With this IÖB Challenge, companies, start-ups and research institutions are invited to showcase their innovative ideas that contribute to greater security, protection and resilience. The aim is to gain an overview of new products, services and technologies that can support the public sector in the fields of digital security, disaster protection and supply chain stability.
Companies are to submit their entries via the online platform by 16. March 2026.
Description
• The focus of the description should align with the evaluation criteria. Convince us with comprehensible use cases and references.
Summary of Added Value
• Highlight your unique selling point and key advantages! What makes your solution particularly innovative? What sets you apart?
Confidential Information (for the jury only):
• This information can be submitted confidentially via the platform.
• In this text field, you may include additional information that you wish to share exclusively with the project managers. Alternatively, you can send a PDF by email to the Challenge moderators.

Additionally, a title image is required. This serves as your visual showcase in the overview of submissions for this Challenge.

You may also optionally attach a file. This file should supplement, but not replace or repeat, the texts in the form fields! Use the attachment, for example, for graphics.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Consortium submissions are possible. Please be concise (guideline: maximum 10–12 presentation slides or 4–5 A4 pages). We are currently in a market exploration phase with this Challenge. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare drafts or feasibility studies specifically for this occasion.