Edge Computing for Resilient Critical Infrastructure: Concepts and Research Directions

Modern infrastructure systems are becoming increasingly complex, interconnected, and reliant on digital control. While this enables efficiency and automation, it also introduces systemic vulnerabilities—exacerbated by cyber threats, geopolitical tensions, and environmental disruptions. Recent large-scale outages have demonstrated the societal and economic consequences of failures across energy, transport, industrial systems, and digital infrastructure.This paper explores how resilient edge computing can strengthen the dependability of critical infrastructure and consumer-facing networks. By enabling local data processing and autonomous decision-making, edge computing reduces reliance on centralized platforms, improves latency and availability, and supports continuity under degraded conditions.We outline key research directions in system architecture, distributed AI, secure communication, and governance frameworks—emphasizing interoperability, openness, and resilience as core design principles. The paper argues for coordinated efforts across research, policy, and industry to ensure that edge technologies can serve as a foundation for next-generation connected systems.