Malta Police Force

Their core work

The Malta Police Force is the national law enforcement agency of Malta, bringing operational policing expertise to EU security research projects. They contribute real-world practitioner perspectives on digital forensics, cybercrime investigation, migration-related security risks, and threat assessment. Their role in H2020 projects centers on validating research tools and methods against actual law enforcement needs, ensuring that security innovations are practical and deployable in the field.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

The Malta Police Force entered H2020 in 2019 with hands-on technical focus areas — mobile device forensics and migration-related hybrid threat analysis. By 2021, their participation shifted toward institutional themes: cybercrime networks, standardisation of law enforcement practices, and innovation uptake across agencies. This trajectory suggests a move from contributing as an end-user of forensic tools to actively shaping how police forces across Europe adopt and standardize security innovations.

Moving from tool-validation roles toward shaping EU-wide law enforcement coordination and cybercrime response standards — increasingly relevant as a policy-informed practitioner partner.

How they like to work

The Malta Police Force participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator — consistent with a law enforcement body contributing operational expertise rather than managing research programs. With 52 unique partners across 24 countries from just 4 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia typical of EU security research. This broad network suggests they are comfortable working in multinational settings and valued for providing a small-state Mediterranean policing perspective.

Despite only 4 projects, they have collaborated with 52 partners across 24 countries, indicating participation in large security consortia with broad European reach. Their Mediterranean and small-island-state perspective adds geographic diversity valued in EU security research.

What sets them apart

As Malta's national police force, they offer a rare combination: a fully operational law enforcement agency from a small EU island state with direct experience in migration routes, maritime security, and cross-border crime. For consortium builders, they provide genuine end-user validation — not a research lab simulating police work, but actual officers testing tools in real operational conditions. Their small size also means faster internal decision-making compared to larger national police forces.

Highlights from their portfolio

• FORMOBILE
  Complete forensic chain from mobile phone seizure to courtroom evidence — directly applicable to any law enforcement digitisation effort.
• CYCLOPES
  Long-running project (2021-2026) building a pan-European law enforcement network against cybercrime, with focus on standardisation and practical innovation adoption.