Research and development

Selmec, through its Software Engineering and Research & Development departments, continuously invests in research activities aimed at innovating production processes, improving energy efficiency, and enhancing product quality. In this context, collaboration with academic and research institutions, as well as participation in regional, national, and European funding programs, plays a key role in supporting innovative projects.

Our projects

CyberOT project

Cybersecurity for OT

Abruzzo ERDF Regional Programme 2021–2027

Priority: I. Research, Competitiveness and Development

Policy Objective 1 – Intervention 1.1.1.1:

Support for Business Research and Innovation Projects

Falling within the technological domains of the Abruzzo Regional Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3) 2021–2027.
CUP: C79J24000060007

In the contemporary world, cybersecurity has become an increasingly critical issue. With the technological advancement of devices used in industrial environments and the growing need for connectivity, what was once primarily an IT-related concern is now inextricably linked to Operational Technology (OT). In this context, in addition to data integrity and protection requirements, safety considerations for personnel working on industrial systems also play a fundamental role.

The CyberOT project represents a strategic industrial research initiative funded under the Abruzzo Regional Operational Programme ERDF 2021–2027, specifically through Action 1.1.2, which supports company-led research projects involving the employment of researchers.

The project originated from the synergistic collaboration between SELMEC S.r.l., bringing its expertise in industrial automation and control technologies, and the Department of Information Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics of the University of L’Aquila, which provided the scientific and methodological support necessary to address the challenges of cybersecurity in industrial environments.

Project Impact and Expected Outcomes

The CyberOT project has generated a significant and multifaceted impact, contributing to the strengthening of cybersecurity in industrial environments and to the development of strategic skills for the regional production and research ecosystem. The project’s outcomes extend beyond the duration of the funded activities, delivering sustainable benefits in the medium and long term.

Technological and scientific impact

The project developed innovative solutions for the protection of industrial systems (Operational Technology), based on advanced artificial intelligence techniques and dedicated monitoring architectures. The results achieved were experimentally validated and disseminated through qualified scientific channels, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the field of industrial cybersecurity and strengthening the role of applied research at both national and international levels.

Impact on the Industrial System

CyberOT has significantly strengthened SELMEC’s ability to prevent, detect, and manage cyber threats in industrial environments. The adoption of a security monitoring platform and a framework compliant with international standards enables the company to enhance the reliability of its systems and to respond to the growing security requirements of the market.

The solutions developed are scalable and transferable to other companies, with particular reference to the manufacturing, energy, and critical infrastructure sectors.

Impact on Skills Development and Employability

The project contributed to the development of advanced skills among company personnel and researchers. The training activities and the materials produced support the growth of highly qualified professional profiles in the field of industrial cybersecurity, a sector considered strategic for future competitiveness.

Territorial Impact and Alignment with the RIS3

CyberOT is aligned with the priorities of the Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3), strengthening the regional innovation ecosystem and promoting collaboration between universities and companies. The project contributes to positioning the territory as a centre of excellence in high value-added technological fields, fostering the attraction of investments and new project initiatives.

Economic Impact and Sustainability of the Project

From an economic perspective, the project helps reduce potential costs associated with cybersecurity incidents and enables new market opportunities. The sustainability of the results is ensured by the availability of internal expertise, technical documentation, and operational procedures that allow the solutions to be maintained and further developed even after the conclusion of the project.

Industrial testbed

The Hilscher netANALYZER device is used for passive monitoring of PROFINET traffic. The device is configured with two TAPs (TAP A and TAP B) to enable bidirectional acquisition of traffic between the PLC and field devices.

KUKA robot — KUKA industrial robot integrated into the testbed. The robotic arm is equipped with an end-effector and a force sensor, and is controlled via the PROFINET protocol by the KUKA KR C4 controller.

test workstation overview — Overview of the test workstation including: a robotic cell with a KUKA robot, an industrial HMI panel, an operator workstation with a monitor for Splunk dashboard visualization, and the electrical control cabinet.

Detail of the hardware infrastructure: Advantech industrial PC for data processing, KUKA KR C4 controller for robot management, and the associated PROFINET network cabling.

operator workstation — Operator workstation with an industrial HMI panel (top) for process control and a dedicated monitor (bottom) for real-time visualization of Splunk dashboards and network traffic analysis charts.

Project identification plaque for the CyberOT project affixed to the testbed, displaying the institutional logos of the Abruzzo Region, Cohesion Italy 2021–27, the European Union (ERDF), and the CUP code C79J240000600007.

electrical control cabinet — Electrical control cabinet featuring an Emerson Digitax ST drive for axis control. The drive communicates with the PLC via PROFINET for motor position and speed control.

Detail of the monitoring system: Emerson Digitax ST drive (left) and netANALYZER device (top, red enclosure) for passive acquisition of PROFINET traffic on the PLC–drive communication line.

Tools and equipment details

As a system for testing and validation, an automated and robotized visual inspection bench was used. This system was already available in the company, as it is employed for the development of our products and therefore replicates a real industrial environment. Some components were replaced (CPU, I/O modules, motor drive communication interface) in order to introduce the PROFINET bus, one of the most widely used technologies in the OT domain. In addition, the following equipment was purchased and used:

An Advantech AIR-510 PC equipped with an Intel® Core™ i9-14900 processor at 2.00 GHz (Intel CM8071504820609), 64 GB of DDR5 RAM at 4800 MHz, and a 1 TB M.2-2280 storage device, running Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2021 LTSC High End. The system provides computing capabilities suitable for artificial intelligence applications and was used to run the developed software application.
Two 10/100 Mbit Ethernet MIRROR-TAP devices (HILSCHER NETMIRROR-TFE-RE), installed at carefully selected points within the networks (both Ethernet and PROFINET), enabled the extraction of traffic flowing through the cables without interfering with the operation of processing units (PCs and PLCs) or peripheral devices.
A real-time Ethernet analyzer (HILSCHER netANALYZER BOX) was used to monitor and analyze OT network traffic (specifically PROFINET traffic) extracted via the MIRROR-TAP devices, enabling the identification and classification of packets in transit.
Two industrial Ethernet switches supporting the MODBUS TCP/IP protocol (ADVANTECH EKI-5729FI-MB-AE, 8GE+2G W/T) were used to interconnect the various units forming the Ethernet and PROFINET networks.