MINISTERIE VAN FINANCIEN

Their core work

The Dutch Ministry of Finance, operating through its customs and tax administration (Belastingdienst), is the Netherlands' primary authority for border control, customs enforcement, and fiscal regulation. In H2020, it contributes real-world operational expertise in customs inspection — from container scanning to drug detection at borders. The ministry acts as an end-user and practitioner partner, providing access to operational environments, regulatory knowledge, and customs officer feedback that technology developers need to build effective border security tools.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Early projects (2015–2018) focused on container inspection fundamentals (C-BORD) and building the data infrastructure for customs risk sharing — big data analytics, inter-agency data fusion, and practitioner networks (PROFILE, PEN-CP). From 2019 onward, the focus shifted toward specialized detection technologies: electrochemical sensors for drugs (BorderSens) and advanced 3D tomography for cargo (MULTISCAN 3D). The trajectory shows a clear move from broad customs cooperation and data-driven risk assessment toward deploying specific, next-generation detection hardware at the border.

Moving toward adoption of frontier sensing technologies (laser-plasma, electrochemical) for physical inspection, suggesting interest in next-generation detection hardware ready for operational deployment.

How they like to work

The Ministry participates exclusively as a partner — never as coordinator — which is typical for a government end-user that provides operational requirements and testing environments rather than leading research. With 76 unique partners across 24 countries, they engage broadly across European security consortia rather than working with a fixed set of collaborators. This wide network signals they are a sought-after practitioner voice: technology developers want a real customs authority validating their solutions.

Extensive European network of 76 partners across 24 countries, reflecting deep integration into the EU border security research community. Their reach spans nearly all EU member states, making them a well-connected gateway to the European customs ecosystem.

What sets them apart

As a national customs authority actively embedded in EU security research, the Dutch Ministry of Finance offers something most technology developers cannot get elsewhere: direct access to real border control operations, regulatory insight, and practitioner feedback loops. Their dual engagement in both data-driven risk management and physical detection technology means they understand the full customs inspection pipeline. For any consortium developing border security tools, having the Belastingdienst as a partner provides immediate operational credibility and a pathway to real-world deployment.

Highlights from their portfolio

• C-BORD
  Their largest funded project (EUR 311,969), addressing the foundational challenge of effective container inspection at border control points.
• MULTISCAN 3D
  Their most recent project (2021–2025), representing the technological frontier of cargo inspection with laser-plasma 3D tomography.
• PROFILE
  Focused on the data and intelligence side of customs — big data analytics and inter-customs risk sharing — complementing their hardware-focused projects.