03/12/2025
Teruel, 2 December 2025 – AERA brings together the main technological players at Teruel Airport for the Cybersecurity Conference for the Aerospace and Defence Sector.
The Cybersecurity Conference for the Aerospace and Defence Sector, held on 2 December at Teruel Airport and organised by AERA, Aragón’s aeronautics, aerospace and defence cluster, in collaboration with the Polytechnic University School of Teruel and the airport itself, brought together the main technological and operational players in the ecosystem.
Jesús Gallardo welcomes participants
During the opening, Alejandro Ibrahim, Director of Teruel Airport and President of AERA, emphasised the strategic position of the airport as the province’s largest employer and reviewed the investments that are transforming the site: the construction of the new CIEMA (Comprehensive Centre for Training and Aerial Mobility), the development of an urban plan that will add one million square metres and a new runway, the future hangar for SCEYE’s HAPS operations, and the industrial project for aircraft biofuel storage, valued at €1.15 billion. Alejandro Ibrahim also highlighted other logistical uses of the airport, such as the storage of wind turbine blades and engines, and its role as an infrastructure provider for technology companies in the sector.
Eduardo Gistau and Xavier Martín present on supply chain security.
The technical presentations were delivered by Hiberus, Delsat and Integra. Eduardo Gistau (Global Head of Cybersecurity at Hiberus) and Xavier Martín (Director of Hiberus Catalonia) highlighted the company’s growth (over 4,000 professionals, €250 million in services, and 42 technological areas) before focusing on a clear message: the supply chain is the most vulnerable point of any organisation. They analysed the cyber incident attributed to Iberia, which in fact occurred at a supplier, and emphasised the importance of extended governance, regular audits, validation of incoming software, strict management of privileged access, and the adoption of Zero Trust Network Access. As Gistau summarised: ‘A company that does not implement cybersecurity will not only lose, but will not survive.’
Francisco Yuste in his presentation on the DELSAT Group and telecommunications.
From Integra, Marisa Romero, Head of the Defence Area, and Gonzalo Bernal, Chief Technology Officer, emphasised that cybersecurity is at a critical point for the aerospace sector due to the impact of AI, which can multiply both efficiency and vulnerabilities. They warned about threats such as ransomware, OT attacks, industrial espionage, phishing, APTs, and credential theft, stressing that ‘the weakest link is us humans.’ They presented very compelling real-life examples of deepfakes, such as the ‘CEO fraud,’ and highlighted the need for audits, contingency plans, immutable backups, MFA, and network segmentation, as well as the decisive role of cyber insurance as a method of financial protection against cyberattacks. Meanwhile, Francisco Yuste presented the Delsat corporate group and its work in secure communications applied to drones and control centres, along with the various technological solutions the group develops for critical environments
“Marisa Romero and Gonzalo Bernal explain Integra’s activities and the main cybersecurity risks.”
The conference concluded with a guided tour of Teruel Airport led by Alejandro Ibrahim himself, who took the group to the IAC (International Aerospace Coatings) hangar, where the Chief Operating Officer explained the aircraft maintenance, painting, and technical management processes that position the facility as an international benchmark
The event is promoted and sponsored by the Strategic Project C077.23 on cybersecurity developed in sparsely populated areas, carried out under the agreement between INCIBE and the University of Zaragoza. The project is funded by the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, financed by the European Union (Next Generation EU), the Government of Spain’s initiative that sets the roadmap for the modernization of the Spanish economy, the recovery of economic growth and job creation, the solid, inclusive and resilient economic reconstruction after the COVID-19 crisis, and for addressing the challenges of the next decade.
