A key role of CRANE is to anticipate the cyber security challenges of new and emerging technologies. Using a combination of research methods, we identify priority areas for future research, inform policy and funding decisions, and to support the development of coordinated,
forward-looking approaches to cybersecurity.
Delphi Study
To begin this process, we launched the first part of our Delphi study on “Technology Trends” in September 2025 where we asked our members and stakeholders to score new and emerging technologies according to whether it will pose new security challenges, based on the following criteria.
New technologies:
- Will need to be secured in new ways; or
- Pose a challenge or opportunity to existing approaches to cybersecurity; or
- Are likely to be exploited by bad actors; or
- Interact with global challenges (e.g. climate change, increased polarisation, or ageing population, etc) to create new or novel threats
The first stage of this process was a simple single ranking that allowed us to prioritise the technologies to focus on in later stages, that will in turn lead to funding calls around these technologies or their socio-technical impacts.
Technology Trends Workshops
In March 2026, we conducted two workshops that expanded on the insights gathered through the Delphi survey. These sessions provided a focused exploration of AI and Machine Learning, and Robotics and Automation, respectively, in particular how developments in these rapidly evolving fields:
- Demand new and adaptive security approaches
- Challenge established cyber security paradigms
- May be exploited by adversaries
- Interact with wider global challenges to generate novel and complex threats
Technology Trends & Horizon Scanning Report 1
This report presents the findings from initial foresight activities conducted between September 2025 and May 2026. The purpose of the exercise was to identify key emerging technologies that are likely to have the biggest impact on cybersecurity over the next decade and priority research areas needed to address this, with a focus on strengthening UK digital resilience.
The findings highlight seven overarching themes and five associated research gaps that
will inform future CRANE funding calls. These research gaps include: End-to-end AI trust
and verification, adaptive cybersecurity for evolving systems, security of human-centred
and human-embedded systems, sovereign and resilient AI infrastructure, and governance
and accountability mechanisms.
The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for this report is https://dx.doi.org/10.5287/ora-o1nkoqkwr
To download and read the full report, please use the button below.