Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet

Their core work

Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet is Estonia's Police and Border Guard Board — the country's primary law enforcement and border security agency. In EU research projects, they serve as an operational end-user, providing real-world policing requirements, testing security tools in live environments, and validating technologies ranging from digital forensics platforms to AI-driven crime prediction systems. Their contribution bridges the gap between academic security research and the practical needs of frontline officers dealing with cybercrime, border control, and counter-terrorism.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 participation (2015–2018), the agency focused on general law enforcement networking, community platforms, and foundational security topics like crime prevention and counter-radicalisation. From 2019 onward, a sharp pivot toward technology-intensive projects is visible — AI, deep learning, big data analytics, predictive policing, and IoT-based autonomous systems dominate the portfolio. The most recent projects (2021+) add gamification and VR-based training, suggesting growing interest in how officers learn and adopt new technologies, not just the technologies themselves.

Moving toward operational AI adoption in policing — expect future interest in ethical AI governance, automated threat detection, and officer training technologies.

How they like to work

Exclusively a participant across all 14 projects — never a coordinator — which is typical for an operational law enforcement agency that provides end-user validation rather than scientific leadership. With 197 unique partners across 34 countries, they are remarkably well-connected, joining large security consortia rather than small focused teams. This wide network means they are experienced consortium partners who understand multi-national project dynamics and can provide practical policing perspectives that ground academic research.

Exceptionally broad network of 197 partners spanning 34 countries, built through consistent participation in large EU security consortia. Their reach covers virtually all EU member states and associated countries, making them one of the better-connected Baltic law enforcement agencies in H2020.

What sets them apart

As a national police and border guard agency from a digitally advanced Baltic state, they bring a distinctive combination: a small, agile public authority with hands-on experience in e-governance and digital identity systems that Estonia is known for. They offer genuine operational testing environments for security technologies — not simulated scenarios but real policing workflows. For consortium builders, having an Estonian LEA adds both geographic diversity (Baltic/Nordic coverage) and credibility as an end-user from one of Europe's most digitized societies.

Highlights from their portfolio

• AIDA
  Directly tackles AI and deep learning application for law enforcement cybercrime detection, representing the agency's core modern capability.
• METICOS
  Highest single-project funding (EUR 155,830) and uniquely addresses societal acceptance of border control technologies — combining technical and social dimensions.
• INSPECTr
  Focused on digital forensics evidence platforms, reflecting the agency's practical need for cross-border evidence handling and correlation tools.