Overview
The Security Research & Innovation Campus is a European Commission initiative designed to strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy amid a shifting threat environment.
The initiative, launched at the Joint Research Centre (JRC), is conceived to bring together Europe's security community to test and validate emerging technologies and accelerate innovation. The Security Campus unites a range of unique JRC laboratories that will collaborate to ensure security research is driven by real-world operational priorities. It is shaped around 6 interlinked thematic pillars that reflect the security challenges posed by today's evolving threat landscape.
The Security Campus was officially launched at the JRC site in Ispra, Italy in September 2026.
Integrated solutions to security challenges
The campus will promote an integrated approach to security challenges by showcasing multidisciplinary laboratories and research teams that deliver targeted solutions for agencies operating in the security domain at national and European level.
Bringing stakeholders closer to research
The Security Research & Innovation Campus will not only benefit from links among different disciplines - a core objective is to bring stakeholders closer to our work, bridging the gap between research and operations.
We will promote closer relationships with agencies, EU Member State organisations and research institutions to better understand unmet operational needs and showcase our unique infrastructure.
Our collaboration opportunities range from short-term training to longer-term placements, enabling partners to work directly at JRC sites.
- Training courses that equip participants with specialised knowledge and essential skills to address a range of security challenges
- Short-term stays for visiting practitioners (up to 4 weeks) for specific knowledge exchange
- Secondments - longer placements of a minimum of 1 month to integrate expertise
- Hosting agreements - a long-term model where staff are based at JRC sites to use our laboratories for operational support
The Border Security Lab initiative establishes a collaborative network of laboratories specialised in supporting border control and customs operations. Integrated with the JRC living labs to allow for testing under real-life conditions, the network aims to enhance both security and efficiency at national borders.
The European Crisis Management Laboratory (ECML) serves as a strategic science and policy advisory facility supporting the European Commission, EU Member States and international organisations such as the United Nations. Serving as a core component of the Security Campus, the ECML provides science-based advice and situational awareness for both natural and human-induced disasters.
Other supporting facilities
In an increasingly complex threat environment, the defence pillar works to safeguard European society by conducting research into the defence industry, dual-use technology, conflicts and hybrid threats, as well as the resilience of the EU’s critical infrastructure.
By assisting EU Member States to build defence readiness, it also analyses how climate change acts as a threat multiplier for defence systems and essential services, ensuring they remain operational under environmental stress. Our scientists use artificial intelligence to monitor and forecast conflict risks in over 140 countries, helping to prevent crises before they escalate.
Supporting lab
This pillar focuses on creating a level playing field for investigation and prosecution of various crimes, including trafficking in drugs, weapons and digital assets, as well as terrorism and child exploitation. Through digital forensic, biometric and narcotics laboratories, the JRC develops emerging techniques to improve crime characterisation, risk anticipation and the identification of victims and perpetrators, all while ensuring forensic integrity.
Supporting labs
The JRC’s European Nuclear Security Training Centre (EUSECTRA) provides targeted training to detect and respond to incidents involving the illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive materials. This includes materials that could be associated with crime or acts of terrorism, as well as cases of inadvertent or unauthorised possession or trafficking.
As a recognised leader in nuclear forensics research, we also offer our unique expertise and dedicated infrastructure to assist EU Member States and other partner countries by performing nuclear‑forensics analyses of confiscated nuclear and other radioactive materials on request.
In a complex geopolitical landscape, space technologies are essential for independence and EU sovereignty. Through laboratories like the Test Facilities for Space, Connectivity and Quantum (TOSCA), the JRC supports the EU space programme, and its flagship initiatives, Galileo and IRIS2. Our facilities provide experimental research for secure communication, navigation, and timing services essential for both governmental and commercial needs.
Other supporting labs
- European Microwave Signature Laboratory (EMSL)
- Quantum Communication Lab
- EU GNSS Testing and Demonstration Hub
Supporting EU policy
The establishment of the Security Research & Innovation Campus at the Joint Research Centre is a key action of ProtectEU: a European Internal Security Strategy (2025).
In a changing geo-political environment, the security of the European Union has been challenged to a greater degree than at any time since its founding.
In the areas of preparedness and crisis management, space, internal security and border security, communication, nuclear safety and security, and defence, the EU is required to become more capable and more independent.
ProtectEU envisages a foresight approach to EU internal security, guiding investments in security research and innovation. As the science and knowledge service of the European Commission, the JRC is uniquely positioned to host the Security Campus. Acting as a collaborative space, it connects frontline end-users, research communities, industry partners, and public authorities to transform scientific innovation into practical operational tools.
The Commission has also produced other complementary policy initiatives, including the
