SERVICIUL DE PROTECTIE SI PAZA DE STAT

Their core work

Moldova's State Protection and Guard Service is a national security agency responsible for protecting senior government officials and critical state infrastructure. Within EU-funded research, they serve as an end-user partner — testing and validating advanced security technologies in real operational environments. Their participation brings the perspective of a law enforcement agency (LEA) from an EU-neighboring country, contributing operational requirements and field evaluation for tools spanning counter-terrorism surveillance, crime prediction, and training systems for security personnel.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their earliest project (RED-Alert, 2017) focused on natural language processing for detecting online terrorist content — a passive monitoring approach. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted toward integrated, multi-technology platforms combining IoT, sensors, computer vision, and blockchain (CREST, PREVISION). Their most recent project (LAW-GAME, 2021) marks a distinct pivot toward training and human factors, using serious games and VR to prepare security personnel rather than just equipping them with surveillance tools.

Moving from passive monitoring tools toward immersive training systems and human-centered security, suggesting growing interest in how officers use technology rather than just what technology detects.

How they like to work

Exclusively a participant — never a coordinator across all five projects, which is consistent with their role as an end-user agency rather than a research leader. They work in large consortia (79 unique partners across 20 countries), meaning they connect with many organizations but likely in a validation and requirements-setting capacity. For potential partners, this means they are a reliable end-user voice that can ground-truth security research in real operational needs.

Broadly connected across Europe with 79 unique consortium partners spanning 20 countries — a remarkably wide network for a non-EU member state agency. This reach is driven by participation in large security research consortia rather than bilateral partnerships.

What sets them apart

As a Moldovan state security agency, they offer something rare in EU security research: the perspective of an Eastern Partnership country bordering a conflict zone. This geographic and operational context makes them valuable for testing security tools under conditions different from Western European agencies. Their consistent participation across five projects over four years signals genuine institutional commitment to EU research collaboration despite being a non-EU country.

Highlights from their portfolio

• LAW-GAME
  Their highest-funded project (EUR 152,500) and a thematic departure — applying VR serious games and AI to law enforcement training rather than surveillance.
• CREST
  The most technically diverse project in their portfolio, spanning IoT, blockchain, AR, computer vision, and autonomous systems in a single integrated crime-fighting platform.
• RED-Alert
  Their first H2020 project, focused on NLP-based real-time detection of online terrorist content — established their entry into EU security research.