S4AllCities · Project

AI-Powered Security System That Protects Crowded Public Spaces in Smart Cities

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Imagine you're running a city and need to keep busy plazas, transit hubs, and open-air events safe — but you can't put a police officer on every corner. This project built a smart security system that uses cameras, sensors, and AI to spot suspicious behavior, detect abandoned objects, and flag cyber threats in real time across multiple city locations at once. Think of it as a digital twin of your city's public spaces that lets security teams see risks before they become emergencies. It was tested in 5 real cities across Spain, Romania, Czech Republic, and Greece.

By the numbers

Cities where the system was piloted and validated

Countries involved in pilot testing (Spain, Romania, Czech Republic, Greece)

Digital Twin Systems built and demonstrated

Consortium partners contributing to the solution

EU countries represented in the consortium

Total deliverables produced

Demo deliverables with working prototypes

SMEs in the consortium with commercialization potential

The business problem

What needed solving

Cities face a growing challenge: how to protect crowded public spaces — plazas, transit stations, event venues — from both physical and cyber threats without turning them into fortresses. Traditional CCTV monitoring is reactive and cannot scale to cover multiple open spaces simultaneously. Meanwhile, as city infrastructure becomes increasingly connected and smart, the cyber attack surface expands, creating vulnerabilities that physical security alone cannot address.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered a complete cyber-physical security management system validated across 5 cities, including: AI-powered object detection and pattern recognition, human physical behavior detection modules, 3 Digital Twin systems for real-time city modeling, edge computing infrastructure for distributed sensor data aggregation, smart building sensing (NG112), role-based access control and anonymization mechanisms for privacy compliance, and resilient emergency communication infrastructure — totaling 29 deliverables with 15 working demos.

Audience

Who needs this

City Chief Security Officers and municipal safety departmentsSmart city technology directors at municipalities with 100K+ residentsSecurity systems integrators serving government and public infrastructureCommercial property managers of large mixed-use developments and transit hubsNational civil protection agencies responsible for public event security

Business applications

Who can put this to work

City Security & Public Safety

enterprise

Target: Municipal governments and city security departments

If you are a city security director dealing with the challenge of protecting open public spaces from terrorist threats and mass-casualty events — this project developed a cyber-physical security management system with 3 Digital Twin platforms that was validated across 5 cities in 4 countries. It combines AI-based object detection, human behavior analysis, and real-time risk estimation so your team can monitor multiple locations simultaneously and activate crisis response measures faster.

Smart Building & Facility Management

mid-size

Target: Commercial property managers and smart building operators

If you are a facility manager responsible for securing large commercial buildings or mixed-use complexes — this project built smart building sensing modules (NG112) and edge-tier data aggregation systems that detect threats at the building level. With role-based access control and anonymization mechanisms built in, you can monitor security without violating privacy regulations, connecting building sensors through edge connectors to a centralized security dashboard.

Security Technology & Systems Integration

any

Target: Security technology vendors and systems integrators

If you are a security systems integrator looking for next-generation components to add to your product portfolio — this project produced 29 deliverables including object detection and pattern recognition modules, human physical behavior detection, and edge connectors for device services. The consortium of 32 partners across 9 countries built these as interoperable components within a System of Systems architecture, meaning they can be integrated into existing security infrastructure.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would a deployment cost for a mid-size city?

The project data does not include specific pricing or cost-per-deployment figures. However, the objective describes the solution as 'cost efficient and market ready,' and with 11 SMEs among 32 consortium partners, there is likely a range of commercial offerings at different price points. Contact the consortium for specific quotes.

Can this scale beyond the 5 pilot cities?

The system was designed as a System of Systems and validated across 5 cities in 4 different countries (Spain, Romania, Czech Republic, Greece), each with different urban configurations. The architecture uses edge computing and distributed event messaging, which are inherently scalable approaches. The consortium explicitly aimed to deliver solutions for 'the global market.'

Who owns the IP and how can we license it?

The coordinator is EXUS Software (Greece, SME), but with 32 partners across 9 countries contributing different components, IP is likely distributed among multiple partners. Individual modules like the object detection system, behavior detection, or smart building sensing may be licensable separately. Contact the coordinator for licensing specifics.

Does this comply with EU privacy regulations like GDPR?

Yes, the project specifically developed anonymization mechanisms (documented in a dedicated deliverable) and role-based access control systems with both first and final versions delivered. These were designed to 'strike a balance between improving security and preserving the open nature of public spaces as well as citizens' sense of freedom.'

How long would it take to deploy in a new city?

Based on available project data, the system was piloted across 5 cities over the project's 28-month duration, with components progressing from first versions to final versions. The use of edge connectors and standardized device services suggests the architecture is designed for relatively rapid deployment in new environments, though exact timelines would depend on existing infrastructure.

Can this integrate with existing city surveillance and emergency systems?

The project built edge connectors for device services and virtual device services, plus a prototype edge tier for data aggregation, streaming, and distributed event messaging. It also developed NG112 smart building sensing integration and a resilient communication infrastructure for emergencies. These components are designed for interoperability with existing city systems.

Consortium

Who built it

The S4AllCities consortium is unusually large at 32 partners spread across 9 EU countries, which signals both the complexity and ambition of the project. With 15 industry partners (47% of the consortium) and 11 SMEs, this is heavily tilted toward commercial exploitation rather than pure research. The coordinator, EXUS Software from Greece, is itself an SME — meaning the project was led by a company with a direct commercial interest in bringing results to market. The mix of 4 universities and 4 research organizations provided the scientific backbone, while the 9 "other" organizations likely include the pilot city authorities. For a business buyer, this consortium structure means there are multiple potential technology suppliers to engage with, each specializing in different components of the security system.

EXUS SOFTWARE MONOPROSOPI ETAIRIA PERIORISMENIS EVTHINISCoordinator · EL
VSB - TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF OSTRAVAthirdparty · CZ
CROWD DYNAMICS INTERNATIONAL LIMITEDparticipant · UK
ANAPTYXIAKI ETAIREIA DIMOU TRIKKAION ANAPTYXIAKI ANONYMI ETAIREIA OTAparticipant · EL
TELESTO TECHNOLOGIES PLIROFORIKIS KAI EPIKOINONION EPEparticipant · EL
SPRAVA INFORMACNICH TECHNOLOGII MESTA PLZNE, PRISPEVKOVA ORGANIZACEparticipant · CZ
ZABALA INNOVATION CONSULTING SAparticipant · ES
FUNDACION TEKNIKERparticipant · ES
GOBIERNO VASCO - DEPARTAMENTO SEGURIDADparticipant · ES
BEIA CONSULT INTERNATIONAL SRLparticipant · RO
EULAMBIA ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES ETAIRIA PERIORISMENIS EFTHINISparticipant · EL
CRISISPLAN BVparticipant · NL
AYUNTAMIENTO DE VALENCIAparticipant · ES
ADDITESS ADVANCED INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS & SERVICES LTDparticipant · CY
PLAN4ALL ZSparticipant · CZ
ATOS SPAIN SAthirdparty · ES
AYUNTAMIENTO DE BILBAOparticipant · ES
GAP ANALYSIS SOCIETE ANONYME RISK AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AEparticipant · EL
BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITYparticipant · UK
TECHNOLOGICKA PLATFORMA ENERGETICKABEZPECNOST CR ZSparticipant · CZ
ENGINSOFT SPAparticipant · IT
KENTRO MELETON ASFALEIASparticipant · EL
CS GROUP - Franceparticipant · FR
UNIVERSIDAD DE CANTABRIAparticipant · ES
ZAPADOCESKA UNIVERZITA V PLZNIthirdparty · CZ
ATOS IT SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES IBERIA SLparticipant · ES
EREVNITIKO PANEPISTIMIAKO INSTITOUTO SYSTIMATON EPIKOINONION KAI YPOLOGISTONparticipant · EL
HELLENIC POLICEparticipant · EL

How to reach the team

EXUS Software (Greece, SME) coordinated this 32-partner project. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the right technical contact.

Order a report on this consortium See EXUS SOFTWARE MONOPROSOPI ETAIRIA PERIORISMENIS EVTHINIS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how S4AllCities security technology could protect your city's public spaces? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the consortium partners who built and tested these systems across 5 European cities.

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