Centro interuniversitario di ricerca
CybeRights
CybeRights: Achievements and Future Prospects . Press release on the Conference of 20–21 November 2025
CybeRights: Achievements and Future Prospects
Towards a Trustworthy Cyberspace: Florence Hosts the Conference Dedicated to the CyberRights Project
Academics and representatives of public institutions and the private sector come together to define the rules, rights and tools that will shape the future of digital security, and to present the new Interuniversity Research Centre based in Florence.
[Florence] Cyberspace and the protection of fundamental rights in the digital environment are at the heart of the conference dedicated to the CybeRights Project, developed within the SERICS Extended Partnership – Security and Rights in the CyberSpace. The event will take place in Florence on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 November, in the main lecture hall of the Novoli Social Sciences Campus (Building D6).
Promoted by the Department of Legal Sciences of the University of Florence, within the framework of the SERICS Foundation, the conference will bring together academics and representatives of public institutions and the private sector to reflect on the challenges of cyberspace and on the development of a secure, well-regulated digital environment that respects fundamental rights.
Launched in 2023, the CybeRights Project has brought together experts in technology, law, ethics, sociology and education to explore how to build a trustworthy and secure cyberspace by combining robust technological systems with appropriate human behaviour, while developing and testing new cybersecurity policies.
The project’s results will be presented during the Florence event: two days of open discussion, organised into four thematic sessions, bringing together academia, institutions and public- and private-sector stakeholders at national and European level to address the major challenges posed by cyberspace and the future prospects of digital governance.
The conference will also present the new CybeRights Interuniversity Research Centre, which brings together leading Italian academic expertise in the field through the participation of nine Italian universities and the National Research Council (CNR). The Centre was established to continue and expand the activities developed within the project, with a focus on regulation, rights, education and training, and compliance, and will be based in Florence.
“The CybeRights Project,” said Andrea Simoncini, Principal Investigator of the project, “aims to demonstrate that security in the digital environment cannot be entrusted to technology alone: it requires culture, awareness, and continuous cooperation and reflection among academia, institutions and the private sector. This conference in Florence represents a crucial step in transforming research results into practical tools for protecting rights and strengthening digital governance, with the aim of building a more trustworthy and genuinely human-centred cyberspace. It marks a new starting point for addressing the future challenges of cyberspace with greater awareness. Alongside the Florence Charter of Rights and Duties for Security in Cyberspace, we will also present the new CybeRights Interuniversity Research Centre, the first Italian interuniversity centre dedicated to security in the digital environment. It represents an important opportunity and a source of pride for Florence, where the Centre will be based, as well as an opportunity to enrich academic research throughout Italy.”
Alessandro Armando, Chair of the SERICS Scientific Committee, added:
“The establishment of the CybeRights Interuniversity Research Centre as a ‘spin-off’ of the project of the same name developed within SERICS fulfils the Partnership’s ambition to contribute to the evolution of Italy’s national cybersecurity research ecosystem. Bringing together fields of knowledge and expertise that have traditionally remained separate – cybersecurity on the one hand and individual rights on the other – is now more essential than ever in addressing the current and future challenges of cyberspace.”
According to Vincenzo Loia, President of the SERICS Foundation, the project further strengthens the Partnership’s mission:
“Security is a key dimension of digital citizenship. The success of the SERICS PNRR Extended Partnership lies in having created a unique ecosystem that integrates technology, law and ethics. The establishment of the CybeRights Centre ensures that this model of cooperation will become a lasting and strategic resource for the evolution of Italy’s regulatory and technological landscape.”
Turning to the programme, the opening day on 20 November will begin at 10:00. Following institutional greetings from academic and public authorities, Simoncini will present the objectives and activities of the Partnership.
The first session, entitled “CybeRights. Theoretical Challenges”, will feature contributions from Erik Longo of the University of Florence, Francesca C. Villata of the University of Milan, Stefano Pietropaoli of the University of Florence, Gaetana Morgante of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa and Carlo Colapietro of Roma Tre University.
The second session, dedicated to the project’s deliverables, will be chaired by Antonio Iannuzzi (Roma Tre University) and will feature Silvia Sassi (University of Florence), Federico Serini (University of Turin), Giovanni Comandè (Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies), Diana Cerini (University of Milan-Bicocca), Stefano Dorigo (University of Florence), Giuseppe Verde (University of Palermo), Gaia Fiorinelli (Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies), Roberto Flor (University of Verona) and Giulia Gabrielli (University of Milan).
Friday 21 November, again beginning at 10:00, will be dedicated to dialogue with institutional and private-sector stakeholders.
The third session, “CybeRights. In Dialogue with Stakeholders”, will be structured around two round tables. The first will focus on “Dialogue with Public Institutions: Regulatory Perspectives”, while the second will address “Dialogue with the Private Sector: Enforcement Perspectives.”
The fourth and final session, dedicated to the future of the project, will be opened by Rocco De Nicola of the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca. It will include the presentation of the CybeRights Observatory and the Charter of Rights for Cyberspace by Marina Pietrangelo (IGSG-CNR) and Gianmario Demuro (University of Cagliari), with contributions from Monica Palmirani (University of Bologna) and Elisa Cavasino (University of Palermo).
The conference will conclude with remarks by Andrea Simoncini (University of Florence) and Alessandro Armando (University of Genoa), Chair of the SERICS Scientific Committee, focusing on the future research perspectives of the SERICS Foundation.
Throughout the two-day event, the foyer of Building D6 will also host a poster session, offering participants the opportunity to present their work and discuss it with guests and speakers from the plenary sessions.
For further information: https://cyberights2025.it/
