Overview

Work Package 7 (WP7) – Digital Security and Privacy – in the CoTecH project focuses on strengthening the capacity of the regional health and welfare sector to manage risks related to cybersecurity, data protection and regulatory compliance.

WP7 connects research, education and innovation activities, and links CoTecH to national and international initiatives on secure and privacy-preserving health technologies. It addresses:

• vulnerabilities and risks in digital health services and infrastructures,
• technical and organizational security measures,
• relevant legal and regulatory requirements related to information security and privacy (e.g. GDPR, NIS2),
• and the secure, privacy-preserving use and sharing of health data (including cross-border scenarios).

WP7 is also referred to as “Digital Security and Privacy” (AP7 Digital sikkerhet og personvern) in the CoTecH structure.

About CoTecH**:**

CoTecH is a capacity-building project with a total budget of NOK 58 million, of which NOK 28 million is provided by the Research Council of Norway (RCN).

Over six years, CoTecH brings together universities, healthcare organisations, companies, municipalities and county councils to develop, test and implement innovative health technologies. The University of South-Eastern Norway (USN) leads CoTecH and is the exclusive recipient of the RCN Capacity Boost funding in the region, making it a central driver of competence building and research for regional stakeholders.

Key characteristics:

• 28 partners from health industry, health services, user groups and research organisations across several counties and countries;
• strong interdisciplinary profile drawing on health sciences, sensor technology, digital security, ethics and sustainability;
• involvement of researchers from all four faculties at USN.

Within this framework, WP7 focuses explicitly on digital security and privacy in health technologies and services.

Objectives of the Work Package

WP7 – Digital Security and Privacy has three key objectives:

• Strengthen competence in cybersecurity and privacy across health organizations and regional industries.
• Develop secure and privacy-preserving digital solutions that protect sensitive health data throughout its lifecycle.