ZANASI ALESSANDRO SRL

Their core work

Zanasi Alessandro is an Italian security consultancy and intelligence analysis firm based in Modena, specializing in applied security research for EU institutions and law enforcement. They provide expertise in text mining, open-source intelligence (OSINT), and AI-driven security analytics across border control, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, and financial infrastructure protection. Their work spans from building risk-based screening systems for passenger security to developing ethical AI frameworks for law enforcement agencies. They consistently serve as a knowledge partner bringing intelligence analysis methods into large European security research consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), Zanasi focused on physical security domains — border control enhancement (BODEGA), counter-terrorism narratives (TRIVALENT), and passenger screening systems (TRESSPASS). From 2019 onward, their work shifted decisively toward cybersecurity ecosystems (ECHO), AI governance for law enforcement (popAI, NOTIONES), and cross-domain data analytics including environmental applications (SILVANUS). The trajectory shows a clear move from traditional security consulting toward AI-driven intelligence and responsible technology governance.

Zanasi is moving toward responsible AI governance and intelligence community coordination, making them a strong partner for projects at the intersection of AI, ethics, and security policy.

How they like to work

Zanasi operates exclusively as a consortium participant, never as coordinator, which suggests they serve as a specialist contributor bringing domain expertise rather than managing project logistics. With 211 unique partners across 36 countries in just 9 projects, they work in very large consortia (averaging 23+ partners per project), typical of EU security-themed projects. This broad but non-repeating partner network indicates they are well-connected across European security research but function as a flexible expert-for-hire rather than a hub organization.

Zanasi has collaborated with 211 distinct partners across 36 countries, giving them one of the broadest geographic networks relative to their size. Their reach spans virtually all EU member states plus associated countries, reflecting the pan-European nature of security research programmes.

What sets them apart

Zanasi occupies a rare niche as a small Italian private company with deep roots in EU security research, bridging intelligence analysis, text mining, and policy-oriented AI ethics. Unlike large defense contractors, they bring agile SME flexibility to massive security consortia while maintaining continuity across counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, and responsible AI governance. Their nine consecutive H2020 projects demonstrate sustained trust from consortium builders who value their intelligence domain expertise.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ECHO
  Largest budget (EUR 539,850) and most ambitious scope — building a pan-European cybersecurity competence network with federated cyber ranges and early warning systems.
• popAI
  Represents their strategic pivot toward AI ethics and responsible AI for law enforcement, a rapidly growing policy area in EU research.
• SILVANUS
  Unusual cross-domain move into environmental/wildfire management, demonstrating their big-data analytics capabilities beyond traditional security.