From research to reality: how Spain’s police drives security innovation in the EU

For José Manuel Colodras, innovation is never abstract. It is something that must continue even under operational pressure to help police officers prevent crime and protect people.

His perspective has been shaped by years of on the ground police work in complex international contexts. For example, with the EU-ACT project, he was combatting drug trafficking in Ukraine and conducting a rehabilitation programme with drug-addicted inmates.

“Working in Ukraine was extremely difficult, but I never lost my confidence and optimism. In the end, Ukrainians really appreciated my work, and it was one of my best schools”

From public spaces to forensic intelligence

Can you give us some examples of EU research that strengthens security?

The POP ART project, for example, helps us protect public spaces. It was tested during a La Liga football match and a United Nations conference, demonstrating how innovation can be successfully applied in real-life environments.

A more ambitious initiative is the Forensic Challenge Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP), designed to support the activities of the Forensic Department within the Spanish National Police.

For example, in a homicide investigation, this project aims to create a system that takes into account every step of the process- from the crime scene to the final report submitted to the judge. It’s something that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world.

Forensic Challenge PCP is co-funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), demonstrating how different EU funding mechanisms can drive impact in security.

Why practitioners must be involved from the start

How can innovation stay connected to real operational needs, and what role should practitioners play in shaping new solutions?

At the Spanish National Police, decisions to participate in EU-funded research and innovation projects are driven by clearly identified operational capability gaps, not by funding opportunities alone. And it’s very important to involve practitioners from the very beginning.

“We support them in every single step and try to remove administrative barriers to create the conditions for turning research results into operational tools”

This approach ensures that research contributes directly to crime prevention, counterterrorism and public safety, rather than remaining a theoretical exercise.

What makes Spain’s approach on security research different in the European context? 

I would define the ‘Spanish model’ as an innovative police organisation based on three pillars: public procurement, partnerships with private companies and synergies between different funds.

These pillars help ensure continuity from research to prototype and ultimately to operational use.

How public procurement can create an impact

Why does public procurement play such a central role in Spain’s security innovation strategy?

Procurement is what turns promising research into usable solutions. Instruments such as Pre-Commercial Procurement allow police authorities to remain closely involved throughout their development.

“We don’t want to be passive developers or simple end-users; we want to be part of the process”

This active role helps guide researchers and industry, simplifies uptake and ensures innovation stays grounded in operational reality.

Looking ahead: strengthening Europe’s security together

What role should law enforcement authorities play in Horizon Europe and future EU security research?

When public authorities are actively involved in defining user needs, supporting development and using procurement to scale up solutions, then innovation is far more likely to reach operational use.

By working on security research, I have the feeling that I’m making a real impact in my organisation, and I hope in Europe too

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