THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL POLICE ORGANIZATION

Their core work

INTERPOL is the world's largest international police organization, facilitating cross-border law enforcement cooperation among 195 member countries. In H2020, they contribute operational expertise in counter-terrorism, organized crime investigation, and explosives threat management. Their role in EU research focuses on ensuring that security tools — from cryptocurrency tracking to speech analytics — meet real-world policing needs and legal frameworks. They bridge the gap between academic research and frontline law enforcement application.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

INTERPOL's early H2020 involvement (2017) focused on financial cybercrime — specifically cryptocurrency tracing and darknet market investigation — alongside explosives neutralisation. By 2018-2019, their focus shifted toward network analysis platforms, speech analytics, and broader counter-terrorism tools with emphasis on standardization and legal frameworks. The trajectory shows movement from investigating specific criminal channels toward building integrated analysis platforms for organized crime.

INTERPOL is moving toward AI-powered analytical tools for organized crime, suggesting future interest in real-time intelligence platforms that combine multiple data sources under robust legal frameworks.

How they like to work

INTERPOL participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as an end-user organization that provides operational requirements rather than managing research. With 58 unique partners across 21 countries, they work in large, diverse consortia typical of EU security research. Their value to any consortium is immediate: they bring the credibility and operational perspective of the world's foremost international policing body.

INTERPOL has collaborated with 58 unique partners across 21 countries in just 4 projects, reflecting the large consortium sizes typical of H2020 security research. Their network spans most of Europe with inherently global operational reach.

What sets them apart

INTERPOL is unlike any other H2020 participant — there is no equivalent organization. They provide something no university or private company can: direct access to international law enforcement perspectives, operational validation of security tools, and the institutional authority of a 195-country police network. For any consortium building security research proposals, INTERPOL's name alone signals credibility to evaluators and ensures tools are designed for real operational use.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ROXANNE
  Largest INTERPOL funding (EUR 400K) — combined speech analytics, network analysis, and real-time intelligence for organized crime, reflecting their move toward integrated platforms.
• TITANIUM
  Addressed the then-emerging challenge of cryptocurrency crime and darknet markets, positioning INTERPOL early in a field that has since exploded in importance.
• EXERTER
  Five-year pan-European explosives specialists network (2018-2023) — their longest project, focused on standardization and knowledge-sharing across the explosives security community.