UNABHANGIGES LANDESZENTRUM FUR DATENSCHUTZ

Their core work

ULD is the independent data protection authority of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, based in Kiel. They serve as both a regulatory body enforcing GDPR and privacy law, and as an applied research partner contributing deep legal and technical expertise on data protection, transparency, and privacy-enhancing technologies to EU projects. Their role in H2020 consortia is to provide authoritative guidance on privacy compliance, ethical frameworks for ICT, and scalable architectures for handling personal data in line with European regulations.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ULD's early H2020 involvement (2015–2017) focused on foundational privacy research and ethical questions around cybersecurity and usability, through projects like Privacy.Us and CANVAS. From 2017 onward, their work shifted decisively toward applied technical solutions — scalable linked data architectures for compliance (SPECIAL), participatory governance frameworks (PANELFIT), and citizen-facing transparency tools (TRAPEZE). The trajectory shows a clear move from studying privacy problems to building enforceable, technology-backed solutions for GDPR-era Europe.

ULD is moving toward operational privacy-enhancing technology solutions for citizens and organizations, making them an increasingly valuable partner for projects that need to embed GDPR compliance into technical architectures.

How they like to work

ULD has participated exclusively as a partner — never as coordinator — across all five projects, which is consistent with their role as a specialized public authority contributing domain expertise rather than managing large consortia. With 53 unique partners across 16 countries, they integrate into diverse, mid-to-large European consortia rather than repeatedly teaming with the same organizations. This makes them an accessible and experienced partner who knows how to work across institutional cultures and disciplines.

ULD has collaborated with 53 distinct partners across 16 countries, indicating a broad and well-connected European network. Their partnerships span universities, tech companies, and public bodies across Western and Central Europe, with no narrow geographic clustering.

What sets them apart

ULD is not a university lab or a consultancy — it is a functioning government data protection authority that actively participates in EU research. This gives them a rare dual perspective: they both enforce privacy regulations and help develop the technologies and frameworks to comply with them. For any consortium needing credible, authoritative input on GDPR, privacy by design, or regulatory alignment, ULD brings legitimacy and practical regulatory insight that academic partners alone cannot provide.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SPECIAL
  Largest single grant (EUR 361,950) and technically ambitious — building a scalable linked data architecture for automated GDPR compliance and transparency.
• TRAPEZE
  Most recent project (2020–2023), combining privacy-enhancing technologies with citizen-facing transparency tools — represents ULD's current strategic direction.
• PANELFIT
  Addressed participatory governance for ICT ethics and law, showing ULD's capacity to bridge regulatory authority with citizen engagement approaches.