"Warm UP" School: Luxembourg Professors Present the Innovative Work of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT)

As part of the "Warm UP" Winter School at the University of Prishtina, professors Markus Voelp and Carlo Duprel gave a lecture introducing the important work of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) at the University of Luxembourg. They explained how the centre contributes to technology, industry, academic knowledge, scientific research, and the economic growth of Luxembourg.

During the talk, they shared that after 17 years in operation, SnT has helped shape Luxembourg’s technology landscape. Many of its PhD graduates now hold key roles across the country, and one former doctoral researcher leads a notable initiative that introduces technology to high school students.

The professors noted that SnT focuses on meeting the technological and industrial needs of Luxembourg. Rather than taking on every possible project, the centre selects work that is meaningful for the small but economically strong nation.

According to Voelp and Duprel, recruiting the right professors is SnT’s most critical process. The centre works on specific projects for industry and government, choosing professors whose expertise matches the needs of each project to ensure the best results.

Cooperation with industry is organized so that a company interested in a project funds the education of one doctoral student and covers 50% of the research costs.

Research funding is tied to performance—33% of the budget is awarded to research groups based on their results, encouraging healthy competition and high-quality outcomes. One challenge SnT faces is that strict government rules prevent industry partnerships from being used to raise professors’ salaries.

Several students from the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Prishtina completed a stay at the University of Luxembourg's SnT Centre. On Friday, February 27 the final day of the first "Warm UP" Winter School they will present their experience and the knowledge they gained during a colloquium session.