NSERC CREATE SECURE-AGRO: Training the next generation of cyber-secure agri-tech leaders

A2I2 members Suresh Neethirajan and Nur Zincir-Heywood are part of SECURE‑AGRO – a new NSERC CREATE training program, Building Resilience in Smart Agriculture: Cybersecure, Reliable, and Equitable.

Led nationally by Ali Dehghantanha, SECURE‑AGRO brings together universities, government, and industry partners to tackle one of the most urgent challenges in agri‑food: how to secure increasingly automated, AI‑driven farms against cyber threats while keeping systems fair, reliable, and resilient.

Over six years, the program will train more than 100 undergraduate and graduate students across Canada in areas spanning cybersecurity, AI, data science, and agricultural systems. Through hands‑on projects with farm and ag‑tech partners, trainees will learn to design technologies that can withstand attacks, protect sensitive data, and support sustainable food production.

At Dalhousie and A2I2, Suresh and Nur will coordinate research and training that connects secure AI methods with real agricultural deployments—from sensors and edge devices in barns and fields to cloud platforms that manage livestock and crops at scale.

For A2I2 students, SECURE‑AGRO opens a new pathway to work on AI that feeds people, strengthens rural economies, and keeps critical infrastructure safe.