Periodic Reporting for period 1 - INTERCEPT (INNOVATION PROCUREMENT OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES FOR SAFE REMOTE VEHICLE STOPPING BY LAW ENFORCEMENT)
Période du rapport: 2024-09-01 au 2025-08-31
INTERCEPT was conceived to enhance the capabilities of EU LEAs by providing effective means to remotely and safely stop vehicles that present imminent and high-level threats. The project seeks to identify technological gaps, address vulnerabilities, and improve security efficiency. By doing so, it contributes directly to the protection of citizens and society, reducing risks for officers while ensuring respect for European societal values, ethics, and fundamental rights.
From the beginning, INTERCEPT has been built as a collaborative ecosystem, bringing together police forces, public authorities, and security technology experts. This network has been expanded to include public buyers, fostering the joint sharing of risks, investments, and validation approaches in the development of innovative solutions. The consortium involves seven end-users from seven EU countries, all of whom are also public buyers. They are supported by four specialist partners: two homeland security experts and networks of end-users (PPHS and KEMEA), one legal and innovation procurement expert (CORVERS), and one technical and project management expert (DIGINNOV). This structure is further reinforced by the User Observatory Group (UOG), which brings in additional end-users and practitioners, many of whom have expressed formal interest in future joint procurement activities.
The project follows a progressive and iterative approach to identify and address a common security challenge. Beginning with the definition of ten use cases, refined to six, and then narrowed to three, the process highlights critical gaps between existing solutions, processes, and operational needs. A comprehensive technological analysis – integrating legal, societal, ethical, and environmental considerations – supports further refinement, leading to one final use case and the definition of a common challenge to be addressed in a future PCP. This process also informs the development of the first set of tender documents, ensuring a strong basis for future procurement.
From the beginning, INTERCEPT has been built as a collaborative ecosystem, bringing together police forces, public authorities, and security technology experts. This network has been expanded to include public buyers, fostering the joint sharing of risks, investments, and validation approaches in the development of innovative solutions. The consortium involves seven end-users from seven EU countries, all of whom are also public buyers. They are supported by four specialist partners: two homeland security experts and networks of end-users (PPHS and KEMEA), one legal and innovation procurement expert (CORVERS), and one technical and project management expert (DIGINNOV). This structure is further reinforced by the User Observatory Group (UOG), which brings in additional end-users and practitioners, many of whom have expressed formal interest in future joint procurement activities.
The project follows a progressive and iterative approach to identify and address a common security challenge. Beginning with the definition of ten use cases, refined to six, and then narrowed to three, the process highlights critical gaps between existing solutions, processes, and operational needs. A comprehensive technological analysis – integrating legal, societal, ethical, and environmental considerations – supports further refinement, leading to one final use case and the definition of a common challenge to be addressed in a future PCP. This process also informs the development of the first set of tender documents, ensuring a strong basis for future procurement.
Throughout its 12-month duration, INTERCEPT carried out a comprehensive set of technical and scientific activities aimed at enhancing public space protection and supporting the development of innovative vehicle-stopping solutions.
WP2 – End-users and Buyers Groups Setup and Engagement: Established the User Observatory Group (UOG), comprising practitioners from multiple EU countries, and consolidated the Group of Potential Buyers (GPB). These groups were directly involved in validating use cases, identifying capability gaps, and shaping the common challenge to be addressed through future innovation procurement.
WP3 – Common Security Threats and Needs Mapping: Mapped security threats and operational needs faced by Law Enforcement Authorities (LEAs). Through an iterative process, ten initial use cases were refined to six, then three, and ultimately consolidated into one common security use case and one common challenge, providing a clear focus for technological development.
WP4 – Gap Analysis and Solution Mapping: Conducted an extensive market and technological analysis of vehicle-stopping solutions, examining aspects such as maturity levels (TRLs), interoperability, legal and regulatory frameworks, as well as societal, ethical, and environmental considerations. This analysis confirmed both innovation potential and key barriers, supporting the final convergence on the common use case.
WP5 – Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) Preparation: Developed the technical and procedural foundations for the upcoming PCP. Activities included a structured Open Market Consultation (OMC) with OMC webinars in several EU languages, e-pitching sessions, and a central hybrid event in Warsaw. WP5 also produced draft tender documentation, procurement strategy, and business case. Additionally, it delivered targeted training on innovation procurement to build capacity among future public buyers.
At the conclusion of the project, INTERCEPT defined one priority security use case and one common challenge, which now serve as the foundation for a future PCP. It also generated a set of draft tender documents, procurement guidelines, and market intelligence analyses, ensuring readiness for the procurement phase.
WP2 – End-users and Buyers Groups Setup and Engagement: Established the User Observatory Group (UOG), comprising practitioners from multiple EU countries, and consolidated the Group of Potential Buyers (GPB). These groups were directly involved in validating use cases, identifying capability gaps, and shaping the common challenge to be addressed through future innovation procurement.
WP3 – Common Security Threats and Needs Mapping: Mapped security threats and operational needs faced by Law Enforcement Authorities (LEAs). Through an iterative process, ten initial use cases were refined to six, then three, and ultimately consolidated into one common security use case and one common challenge, providing a clear focus for technological development.
WP4 – Gap Analysis and Solution Mapping: Conducted an extensive market and technological analysis of vehicle-stopping solutions, examining aspects such as maturity levels (TRLs), interoperability, legal and regulatory frameworks, as well as societal, ethical, and environmental considerations. This analysis confirmed both innovation potential and key barriers, supporting the final convergence on the common use case.
WP5 – Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) Preparation: Developed the technical and procedural foundations for the upcoming PCP. Activities included a structured Open Market Consultation (OMC) with OMC webinars in several EU languages, e-pitching sessions, and a central hybrid event in Warsaw. WP5 also produced draft tender documentation, procurement strategy, and business case. Additionally, it delivered targeted training on innovation procurement to build capacity among future public buyers.
At the conclusion of the project, INTERCEPT defined one priority security use case and one common challenge, which now serve as the foundation for a future PCP. It also generated a set of draft tender documents, procurement guidelines, and market intelligence analyses, ensuring readiness for the procurement phase.
The INTERCEPT project has advanced beyond the state of the art by selecting a final priority use case and defining a common security challenge for a future PCP. Its gap analysis of security technologies and operations led to the formulation of innovative needs and tailored solutions for remote vehicle stopping.
The results show strong potential to enhance Law Enforcement capabilities, reduce citizen risks, and improve resilience against vehicle-related threats. They also provide a replicable methodology for mapping user needs, assessing technologies, and engaging suppliers for other security challenges.
Looking ahead, the successful uptake and commercialisation of solutions will require:
• Further research and development to integrate emerging technologies into existing security frameworks.
• Demonstration and validation in real operational contexts to confirm technical feasibility and social acceptability.
• Infrastructure compatibility to ensure seamless deployment of new systems.
• Supportive regulatory and standardisation frameworks to address interoperability, safety, and legal compliance.
• Access to markets to accelerate innovation and adoption, particularly for SMEs.
• Strong stakeholder collaboration among end-users, buyers, and technology providers to ensure practical and sustainable outcomes.
• Internationalisation efforts to extend the impact across EU Member States and beyond.
By laying the foundations for a joint PCP, INTERCEPT has positioned its results for practical uptake, paving the way for innovative, safe, and socially acceptable vehicle-stopping solutions to be procured and deployed across Europe.
The results show strong potential to enhance Law Enforcement capabilities, reduce citizen risks, and improve resilience against vehicle-related threats. They also provide a replicable methodology for mapping user needs, assessing technologies, and engaging suppliers for other security challenges.
Looking ahead, the successful uptake and commercialisation of solutions will require:
• Further research and development to integrate emerging technologies into existing security frameworks.
• Demonstration and validation in real operational contexts to confirm technical feasibility and social acceptability.
• Infrastructure compatibility to ensure seamless deployment of new systems.
• Supportive regulatory and standardisation frameworks to address interoperability, safety, and legal compliance.
• Access to markets to accelerate innovation and adoption, particularly for SMEs.
• Strong stakeholder collaboration among end-users, buyers, and technology providers to ensure practical and sustainable outcomes.
• Internationalisation efforts to extend the impact across EU Member States and beyond.
By laying the foundations for a joint PCP, INTERCEPT has positioned its results for practical uptake, paving the way for innovative, safe, and socially acceptable vehicle-stopping solutions to be procured and deployed across Europe.