Strengthening IT Expertise in the North: Blockchain and Ledgers for Industrial Needs

We interviewed Gonesh Chandra Saha, a Postdoctoral Researcher in cybersecurity at Luleå University of Technology. He is currently working within the Kempe Foundation–funded project Strengthening IT Expertise in the North: Blockchain and Ledgers for Industrial Needs.

Tell us about yourself.
Since March 2025, I have been working as a Postdoctoral Researcher in cybersecurity at Luleå University of Technology, based in Skellefteå. My primary research focus is cybersecurity, with an emphasis on blockchain-based solutions.

What did you do before coming here?
I earned my PhD from Universiti Utara Malaysia and later completed a research internship at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. Before that, I taught at the Asian Institute of Cambodia and worked as a faculty member at Gazipur Agricultural University in Bangladesh. During this period, I led research projects in areas such as IoT-based smart agriculture.


You are now working in this Kempe funded project. What does your work focus on?
My work focuses on applying blockchain technology to mitigate cybersecurity risks in critical digital infrastructures.

One key research area within the project is improving the security and resilience of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure through ledgers and decentralised authentication mechanisms.

This is important because the rapid adoption of electric vehicles has led to a parallel expansion of charging infrastructure that increasingly relies on digital connectivity, remote management, and continuous data exchange. While this improves efficiency and user convenience, it also exposes charging systems to cyber threats such as unauthorised access, data tampering, and denial-of-service attacks.


Why is this specific area interesting to study?
Modern EV charging systems face significant challenges related to security, transparency, and trust. Many existing solutions rely on centralised access control and logging systems, which can be vulnerable to manipulation, limited traceability, and service disruption. These weaknesses become especially critical in large-scale deployments or harsh environments, where reliability and accountability are essential.

As part of this research, I have developed a blockchain-based security framework built around two smart contracts. The first is an access control smart contract that verifies whether an EV user is authorised to access a charging station. The second is a charging session logger that records charging session data, such as energy transfer, in an immutable and tamper-proof ledger. Together, these smart contracts enable decentralised authentication and trustworthy logging of charging sessions.


Why is blockchain suitable for this application?
Blockchain enables decentralised trust, transparency, and immutability without relying on a single central authority. Smart contracts make access decisions verifiable and auditable, while charging session records cannot be altered after they are stored.

This improves data integrity, simplifies dispute resolution, and increases confidence among infrastructure owners, users, and other stakeholders, contributing to more secure and resilient EV charging systems.


How does this approach improve existing EV charging systems?
Traditional EV charging systems often depend on central servers for authentication and data storage. If these systems fail or are compromised, the entire service can be disrupted. A decentralised blockchain-based approach removes this single point of failure, improves resilience, prevents unauthorised use, and provides greater transparency for all parties involved.


What are the results so far?
One research article based on this work has already been accepted, and a second article is currently under development and planned for submission to an IEEE conference. The broader goal is to deliver practical, secure, and scalable solutions while also contributing to academic research in blockchain-based cybersecurity.


What comes next for you?
My postdoctoral position runs for a total of two years, until February 2027. After that, we will see what opportunities come next.