RAJAVARTIOLAITOS

Their core work

Rajavartiolaitos is the Finnish Border Guard, the national authority responsible for border security, maritime safety, and border control across Finland's land and sea borders — including the EU's longest external border with Russia. In H2020 projects, they serve as an operational end-user and requirements provider, testing and validating border surveillance technologies in real-world conditions. Their participation brings frontline practitioner knowledge of harsh Nordic environments, cross-border operations, and the practical demands of command-and-control systems used by border agencies.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 involvement (BODEGA, 2015) focused on the human side of border control — improving officer performance and decision-making. From 2018 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward technology-driven surveillance: through-foliage detection (FOLDOUT) and augmented reality with multi-sensor fusion (ARESIBO). This trajectory shows a clear move from human factors research toward advanced digital tools for real-time operational awareness, with increasing project budgets reflecting growing engagement.

Moving toward technology-augmented border operations, combining AR, sensor fusion, and automated detection — expect continued interest in AI-assisted surveillance and decision support for border officers.

How they like to work

Rajavartiolaitos participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as an operational end-user that provides real-world requirements and testing environments rather than leading research. They work in large consortia (51 unique partners across 3 projects), which means they connect broadly but are not a hub organization. For potential partners, this signals a reliable practitioner voice that brings operational credibility and access to real border environments for technology validation.

They have collaborated with 51 unique partners across 17 countries through just 3 projects, indicating participation in large, multi-national security consortia typical of EU border security research programs.

What sets them apart

As a national border guard agency operating one of the EU's most demanding external borders (1,340 km with Russia, plus extensive maritime territory in harsh Nordic conditions), Rajavartiolaitos brings a practitioner perspective that few research organizations can match. They offer real operational environments for technology testing — including extreme cold, dense forests, and remote areas — which is invaluable for validating surveillance and detection systems. For consortium builders in border security, they provide both end-user authority and access to conditions that stress-test technology beyond laboratory settings.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ARESIBO
  Their largest-funded project (EUR 400,252), combining augmented reality with multi-sensor fusion for border situation awareness — representing their most advanced technology engagement.
• FOLDOUT
  Addressed the specific challenge of detecting threats through foliage in EU outermost regions, directly relevant to Finland's forested border terrain.