News

On April 1, 2025, the TENACITy project co-organised the FCT and Border Management Projects Clustering Workshop alongside FLEXI-cross, TENSOR, and ODYSSEUS. This workshop served as a platform to exchange knowledge, explore shared challenges, and align strategies for the responsible application of AI in security contexts.

The event brought together experts and stakeholders from all four projects to reflect on project progress, share lessons learned, and address technical, operational, and ethical challenges. Special attention was given to the ethical implications of AI in security, with participants discussing how to ensure AI technologies are both effective and aligned with EU values and principles.

An important conclusion from all the discussions was the necessity of strong standardization to guarantee uniformity in the application of AI across various security fields. This was identified as a key factor in ensuring interoperability, security, and ethical consistency in AI deployment.

A key outcome of the workshop was the identification of common challenges across projects, ranging from data protection and system interoperability to the lack of clear standardization frameworks. These findings will be captured in a joint White Paper, currently in development, which will outline key insights, practical recommendations, and policy considerations to guide future AI governance in the security domain.

The workshop marked an important step toward closer collaboration between Horizon Europe-funded projects working on AI and security. By aligning efforts and pooling expertise, the participating projects aim to contribute to a more unified and ethically sound approach to AI deployment.

TENACITy is proud to be part of this collective effort and looks forward to continuing this work through the upcoming White Paper, which will be shared with policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders in the coming months.

The 2nd TENACITy Living Lab Workshop took place on February 28, 2025, at the premises of EUROPEAN DYNAMICS, bringing together a diverse group of security experts, Passenger Information Units (PIUs), airline security officers, and technical partners. This collaborative event provided a dynamic space for hands-on tool validation, scenario-based exercises, and insightful discussions, all aimed at enhancing crime prevention and security operations across Europe.

Exploring Advanced Security Solutions

The workshop commenced with an overview of the TENACITy Project, outlining its core mission, objectives, and the goals of this Living Lab. Participants were introduced to the latest advancements in digital tools designed to support data-driven decision-making, risk assessment, and security monitoring. Following this, attendees engaged in a scenario presentation tailored for airline security officers, while PIUs took part in small-scale exercises to apply key intelligence methodologies to real-world travel security scenarios. These activities emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration in ensuring a coordinated and effective response to security challenges.

Hands-On Testing & Technical Validation

One of the most valuable aspects of the workshop was the hands-on session, where participants had the opportunity to test and validate the developed tools in practical, real-time applications. With live support from technical partners, attendees navigated through different functionalities, utilizing chat assistance, training materials, and user manuals to ensure a comprehensive understanding of each tool’s capabilities. The second phase of the workshop focused on PIU-specific scenario presentations, followed by a collaborative hands-on session where PIUs explored the interoperability and synergies between different tools. This session allowed participants to engage in interactive troubleshooting and refinement, further strengthening the operational readiness of the solutions.

Insights, Feedback & Future Improvements

The roundtable discussions and feedback sessions served as a crucial platform for exchanging insights, assessing the effectiveness and usability of the tools, and proposing enhancements for future iterations. Airline security officers provided constructive feedback to the PIU community, sharing observations on tool functionality, integration, and potential areas for improvement. Discussions centered around optimizing usability, streamlining workflows, and ensuring seamless data flow between security stakeholders. The workshop concluded with a final feedback session, where participants and technical experts consolidated their key takeaways, reinforcing the next steps for refining and implementing these digital security solutions in real-world operations.

A Collaborative Effort for a Safer Future

The 2nd TENACITy Living Lab Workshop underscored the importance of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement in travel intelligence and security governance. By bringing together key stakeholders, this event fostered knowledge sharing, practical tool validation, and a collective commitment to strengthening security measures across Europe. We extend our gratitude to all participants and technical partners whose expertise and engagement were essential in shaping the successful completion of the 2nd TENACITy Living Lab. Your contributions were key to making the event a success and advancing innovation in travel intelligence and security.

An end user workshop has been organised in Cyprus this week at the premises of the Cyprus PIU. The topics addressed included: 

• Platform integration: Identifying approaches to integrate external platforms into our digital platform. 

• Use Case Discussion: Discussing potential refinements and updates in use cases to align them with common PIU operational practices and enhance validation processes. 

•  Living Lab exercises: Discussing the designing exercises to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among practitioners in the next Living Lab activities. 

We are currently exploring the feasibility of some interesting enhancements on the hand-on experience with the TENACITy platform in the next Living Lab for all practitioners in the traveling intelligence domain. The engagement of the end users is essential to identify innovation traits as focus points in our roadmap to deliver the final technology release of the TENACITy digital platform. 

Strengthening the ecosystem collaboration for societal resilience against disinformation and disinformation-fuelled crime

What is a project cluster?

Project clustering refers to an alliance created by projects with related subjects or complementing interests, which can encompass partnerships for communication and dissemination activities, participation in meetings of common interest, joint capacity building activities and workshops, among other examples.

The European Commission incentivises the clustering of Horizon Europe projects in order to enhance the impact of financed projects. By forming or joining a cluster, projects can better collaborate and support each other through knowledge sharing and benchmarking project outcomes, hence creating synergies and facilitating the achievement of the proposed impacts.

The Hybrid Threats Cluster

Hybrid threats, a combination of tactics including diplomatic, military, economic, technological, have long been used to destabilise adversaries. Large-scale online disinformation campaigns for instance are used to shape the political narrative and subsequently hinder democratic processes. Countering these constantly evolving challenges by enhancing resilience, and detecting, preventing and responding to hybrid threats is a key priority for the European Union and its member states. In light of  this, a cluster of innovative projects has been created to increase societal resilience to disinformation, misinformation and hybrid threats by strengthening cross-stakeholder collaboration. Knowledge sharing, upskilling and alignment on activities, enables the cluster participants to enhance the efforts and maximise the impact of their respective projects.

The projects involved in the cluster include:

FERMI – Fake News Risk Mitigator

ATHENA – An Exposition On The Foreign Information Manipulation And Interference

RESONANT – Interdisciplinary Research Project on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference

TENACITy – Travel Intelligence Against Crime And Terrorism

TENSOR – Reliable biomeTric tEchNologies to asSist Police authorities in cOmbating terrorism and oRganized crime

Vera.aI – VERification Assisted by Artificial Intelligence

VIGILANT – Vital Intelligence To Investigate Illegal Disinformation

We’re thrilled to announce a significant milestone in the TENACITy project as we wrap up a pivotal review event, marking the transition into the next chapter of our journey. This milestone signifies a crucial step forward in our mission to revolutionize public safety through research and innovation.

The insights and feedback gathered from the review event have already begun to catalyze innovative advancements within our project. Our team is more energized and committed than ever to push the boundaries of what’s possible in our field.

As we move into the second half of our journey, we are focused on enhancing our designs, refining operational workflows, and adopting a citizen-centric approach. These efforts are setting the stage for exciting technological leaps that will shape the future of public safety.

Stay tuned as we continue to transform challenges into opportunities and foster safer communities through research and development. The road ahead is promising, and we look forward to sharing more thrilling updates with you!

We are thrilled to announce the successful conclusion of the TENACITy Training & Living Lab workshop, a collaborative initiative aimed at fostering innovation within law enforcement agencies (LEAs). Co-organized by the Center for Security Studies (KEMEA) and Hardware and Software Engineering, with the active participation of the TENACITy Consortium and external Passenger Information Units (PIUs), this event was held at the KEMEA premises in Athens on February 29th and March 1st. It brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to explore cutting-edge solutions and drive positive change in security studies.

Day One:

The workshop kicked off with a dynamic blend of educational activities designed to empower LEAs with the latest tools and techniques. Through interactive sessions and practical demonstrations, participants embarked on a journey of discovery, learning how to integrate the TENACITy solution into their daily operations. Discussions were lively, and ideas flowed freely as attendees exchanged views, shared best practices, and collaborated on problem-solving strategies.

Day Two:

Building on the momentum of the first day, the second day of the workshop was dedicated to in-depth discussions and comprehensive assessments. Round table discussions provided a platform for participants to dive deeper into the development and implementation of project tools, fostering a spirit of collaboration and innovation. The event concluded with an assessment process, ensuring that participants left with a clear understanding of their progress and next steps.

The success of the Training & Living Lab workshop was a testament to the power of collaboration and shared commitment. With over 70 attendees from external Project Implementation Units (PIUs) and the TENACITy Consortium, the event was a vibrant exchange of ideas and experiences. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants for their invaluable contributions and dedication to advancing the objectives of the TENACITy project.

The second plenary meeting of TENACITy Project took place in Athens on November 2 and 3, 2023, providing an invaluable opportunity for the consortium members to meet in person and delve into the progress made since the preceding plenary session. Over the course of the two-day gathering, a comprehensive analysis of the advancements made within each Work Package and the corresponding milestones attained.

Participants offered detailed insights into the tasks they lead and the performed and planned activities for each of the tasks. At the closing of the plenary meeting featured an engaging open discussion, focusing on the technical partners exploration of tools and the synergies envisioned for the development phase.

Center for Security Studies (KEMEA) had the great opportunity to showcase TENACITy Project at the MEDEA Project Borders Security: Acting Ahead across Research, Practice, and Policy , which took place in Madrid during 27 – 28 September ISDEFE premises.

TENACITy aim, objectives, as well the Practitioners’ role in it were discussed at the “Practitioners’ Key Role in Security Research Pannel”, moderated by Giulio Maria Mancini PO & Area Coordinator for Border Management, DG Migration & Home Affairs.

The panel involved both practitioners and innovators to share their experiences and perspectives. It is always a pleasure to support initiatives and events that promote innovation and cooperation in the Security Sector, highlighting the importance of the participation of LEAs in EU projects for real-world testing and validation of new tools or procedures.

Center for Security Studies (KEMEA) had the great pleasure and opportunity to participate in the 87th Thessaloniki International Trade Fair, during 9-17 September 2023, and disseminated TENACITy Project.

TENACITy aims to implement and demonstrate a Travel Intelligence Governance Framework that will incorporate a holistic approach to crime prevention, will ensure that its proposed digital technologies will support the identification of the modus operandi of criminal and terrorism organizations and will include policy makers in the governance process.

It was a great opportunity to raise awareness about TENACITy and communicate the added value that can bring to the FCT sector.

The Projects to Policy Seminar, which took place in Brussels on June 14 and 15, 2023, was a highly successful event that brought together newly launched projects and policy DGs. Coordinated by DG HOME and REA, this seminar served as a valuable platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing. Its primary objective was to establish a strong connection between research initiatives and policy priorities by facilitating engagement and alignment. To achieve this, participants were organized into four distinct thematic areas, ensuring focused discussions and maximizing the seminar’s overall impact. The four thematic areas where:

• Fighting crime and terrorism & Infrastructure (FCT/INFRA)
• Strengthened Security Research and Innovation (SSRI)
• Disaster-resilient societies (DRS),
• Border management (BM)

The TENACITy team was enthusiastic about showcasing their advancements, exchanging knowledge, and receiving valuable advice from policy experts during the plenary sessions and focused discussions held within the seminar.