Research Focus

The SONYA project aims to:

• strengthen the organisational capacities of SEOs so that they can carry out social and environmental community initiatives;
• scientifically measure the impact of care services for older people using sustainability, inclusivity and efficiency indicators;
• inform and improve legal and policy frameworks in order to support the participation of SEOs in public and private networks.

SONYA will develop scalable frameworks, tools and recommendations to improve ecosystem conditions, with the objective of revitalising rural areas and providing inclusive, high-quality social care services.

Maximum European grant of 3 million euros

In the framework of the Horizon Europe programme, the European funding programme dedicated to research and innovation for the period 2021–2027, the consortium led by Rennes School of Business obtained the maximum European grant (3 million euros) for the SONYA project. Rennes SB thus became the first French business school to lead a Horizon consortium.

SONYA addresses crucial challenges related to care for older people, with the objective of strengthening the capacity of social economy organisations (SEOs) to innovate, improve working conditions and create sustainable and inclusive services, particularly in rural areas.

With the ageing population within the EU, the demand for high-quality care for older people has increased significantly. However, social economy organisations face major obstacles, such as complex legal frameworks, gender imbalances and limited access to resources in rural regions.

SONYA aims to turn these challenges into opportunities by strengthening the capacity of SEOs to retain and attract social workers, develop community initiatives and implement participatory networks.

Project funded by the European Union under grant agreement no. 101177171.

The SONYA consortium brings together a diverse group of academic institutions and practitioners across Europe, under the leadership of Rennes School of Business.

Key partners include:

• Universitat Jaume I de Castellón in Spain,
• Università degli Studi di Firenze in Italy,
• the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences,
• Fundación de la Comunitat Valenciana El Olmo in Spain,
• Federazione Trentina della Cooperazione in Italy,
• Sdruzhenie Aktivno Obshtestvo in Bulgaria,
• Zabala Innovation in Spain,
• Associated partner: Deakin University in Australia.

The SONYA project is funded by the European Union. The views expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA).

This initiative represents a significant step forward in addressing the EU’s urgent need for innovative, inclusive and sustainable approaches to care for older people.

Project Manager / Lead Coordinator: Professor Petya Puncheva

To find out more:

• Visit the SONYA website
• Innovating in care for isolated older people: an update on the SONYA project
• Join the SONYA community

Objectives and challenges

• To address the growing need for protection against digital threats, the project supports the development of 38 training programmes.
• More than 15,000 learners from various sectors will be made aware of cybersecurity issues through modules tailored to their level of competence.
• Specialised programmes will also train more than 3,600 cybersecurity specialists, including over 1,000 in continuing education, in order to ensure a high level of expertise and responsiveness in the face of cyber threats.

Overall objectives

• Raise awareness of cybersecurity issues among 80,000 secondary school pupils.
• Train 15,000 non-specialists from all disciplines (science, health, law, economics, etc.).
• Train 4,000 cybersecurity specialists.
• Support 1,000 learners from continuing education.

The contribution of Rennes School of Business to the CyberSkills4All project

Rennes School of Business makes an essential contribution to the CyberSkills4All project as a strategic academic partner, responsible for several educational and operational components.

The School designs and develops professional micro-certifications within the CyberFUN programme, actively participates in the development of e-learning modules for the CyberNCU pathway, and contributes to the design of the future Cyber Graduate curriculum (Master 2 & Doctorate).

RSB also leverages its expertise to produce innovative content, test educational prototypes, organise cybersecurity workshops and events, and strengthen connections with partner companies and institutions. In parallel, the School provides strong support in communication, dissemination and quality management, ensuring that the project’s deliverables meet academic standards and market needs.

• Project benefiting from funding managed by the French National Research Agency (ANR) under France 2030, reference ANR-23-CMAS-0026.

Consortium members

• University of Rennes
• University of South Brittany
• Rennes School of Business
• ENSTA
• Brittany INP
• GIP-FAR
• GIP-FUN
• Orange
• Cyber Excellence Cluster
• Campus of Digital Photonics and Cybersecurity Excellence

Project pillars

• Cyber Graduate: Creation of degree-awarding programmes (Master and Doctorate) to train a new generation of experts capable of addressing technological and managerial challenges in cybersecurity.
• CyberNCU: Creation of free online training programmes to raise public awareness, particularly among RSB students (Bachelor and PGE), and to promote good digital practices.
• CyberFUN: Implementation of paid, certification-based training courses aimed at professionals and executives, in order to strengthen their operational and strategic skills.

Project Manager / Coordinator: Professor Karim Zkik

Events

Cybersecurity in the Age of AI: Fabrikam Hackathon

• Cybersecurity exercises for 370 of our Bachelor students
• Partner: Microsoft
• Dates: 24–25 September 2025
• Location: Rennes School of Business

Cyber Security Days

• Day 1: Conferences, workshops and expert roundtable
• Day 2: Cyber crisis management exercise involving more than 300 first-year Programme Grande École students
• Dates: 18–19 March 2025
• Location: Rennes School of Business

Global Perspectives on Cyber Threat Intelligence and Emerging Threats

• This event offers valuable insights for anyone wishing to understand the latest developments in cyber threat intelligence and strategies to counter emerging threats.
• Partner: Ornisec
• Date: 12 November 2024
• Location: Rennes School of Business

Training produced by RSB as part of the CS4A project:

Data and Cybersecurity Management – Online module:

• Course: Data Security Leadership: Strategies, Tools & Compliance | Rennes School of Business

PhD funded by CS4A:

Title: Cyber resilience and predictive maintenance in platform-driven supply chains: addressing disruptions in weak institutional environments
PhD candidate: Alexandre Dohin

Supervisors:

• Prof. Mawloud Omar: Professor at the University of UBS
• Prof. Karim Zkik: Associate Professor at Rennes School of Business

Resources

• CyberSkills4All – University of Rennes
• CyberSkills4All posts on LinkedIn
• In Rennes, 9 million euros to train cybersecurity professionals | Jordane Pedron
• Programmes of the Cyber Excellence Cluster
• France 2030 – 9 laureates “Skills and Jobs of the Future”
• CyberSkills4All – Presentation on the University of Rennes website
• Video – Data, brand & cybersecurity management (Karim Zkik)
• Cybersecurity event – conferences & workshops (Karim Zkik)