8 Cyber-physical infrastructure
Cyber-physical infrastructure (CPI), an ecosystem of internet-connected digital and physical systems, has the potential to transform the systems that we all rely on, such as energy and transport, and accelerate innovation to turn the UK into a ‘science superpower’ (see ‘Cyber-physical infrastructure explained’ on p9). While this is the view of the UK
government and widely accepted by experts in the digital world, exactly how this transformative potential is to be unlocked is still up for debate. This is why the UK government published a consultation document in 2022, calling for input on ‘Enabling a national Cyber-Physical Infrastructure to catalyze innovation’. In March 2023, the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation announced the government’s formal response to the evidence gathered during their public consultation, to which BSI had contributed. “We were delighted to see significant recognition of the role of standards in enabling CPI with many of the points BSI raised reflected in the aims and objectives of the government’s consultation outcome,” said Sahar Danesh, Senior Government Engagement Manager, BSI.
Standards set out good practice in interoperability, allowing systems to talk using a common language
“We wanted to encourage the government to look at cyber-physical infrastructure as a strategic programme and as a national asset”
Sahar Danesh
“The main thrust of our response was that we wanted to encourage the government to look at CPI as a strategic programme and as a national asset,” says Sahar. “We wanted to help them see the strategic advantage of bringing all the strands of CPI together and shaping an
overarching standards infrastructure that can underpin it.”
BSI is keen that CPI is not only seen to be about the impressive technology – such as sensors, robotics, AI and connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs). “We say it’s also about how business
processes link up with systems, how users interact with systems and how companies implement the technology,” says Sahar. “We believe it will be a missed opportunity not to invest in standards in parallel to investing in technology. Standards are fundamental in scaling up CPI, showing what good practice looks like in, for example, interoperability, which allows systems to talk to each other using a common vocabulary. “If process and system standards aren’t created in parallel with
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