LIETUVOS KIBERNETINIU NUSIKALTIMU KOMPETENCIJU IR TYRIMU CENTRAS

Their core work

The Lithuanian Cybercrime Center of Excellence is a specialized NGO focused on cybersecurity training, research, and education for law enforcement and public safety. They provide expertise in fighting cybercrime — from child exploitation material detection using AI and NLP to securing e-commerce ecosystems and countering hybrid threats. Their work bridges the gap between cybersecurity research and operational needs of law enforcement agencies across Europe, contributing applied knowledge in areas like federated learning, computer vision for criminal content detection, and pan-European security practitioner networks.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Early projects (2017–2019) focused on building foundations: cybersecurity standards, LEA dialogue and interoperability, community engagement, and pan-European practitioner networks. From 2020 onward, the center shifted sharply toward applied AI and data-driven security — deploying NLP, computer vision, and federated learning for criminal content detection, while also expanding into urban security and resilience. The trajectory shows a clear move from policy and network-building toward hands-on technical capabilities in AI-powered security tools.

Moving toward operational AI tools for law enforcement, with increasing focus on resilience, urban security, and autonomous threat response — expect future work at the intersection of AI and public safety.

How they like to work

Exclusively a participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, suggesting they contribute specialized expertise rather than managing large consortia. With 152 unique partners across 25 countries in just 7 projects, they consistently join large, multi-national consortia (averaging 20+ partners per project). This makes them an accessible and well-networked partner: easy to integrate, experienced in large teams, and connected to a broad European security community.

Exceptionally broad network for their size: 152 unique partners across 25 countries from only 7 projects. Their reach spans most of the EU, with strong ties to the European security and law enforcement research community.

What sets them apart

They occupy a rare niche as a cybercrime-focused NGO that combines law enforcement operational understanding with genuine AI and data science capabilities. Unlike academic partners who contribute theory, or technology companies selling products, this center bridges training, research, and real-world LEA needs — making them a natural fit for security projects requiring end-user validation. Being based in Lithuania also brings a Baltic/Eastern European perspective on hybrid threats and digital sovereignty that is increasingly valued in EU security research.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SPARTA
  Their largest project (EUR 652K) and a flagship EU cybersecurity competence network covering skills, certification, and research governance across Europe.
• GRACE
  Directly applies AI (NLP, computer vision, federated learning) to combat child sexual exploitation — a high-impact, technically demanding domain with clear societal value.
• STARLIGHT
  Their most recent and second-largest project (EUR 418K), running until 2026, focused on building AI-based autonomous capabilities for law enforcement agencies.