On 10 September, the European Commission launched its Security Research and Innovation Campus at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra.
The Campus is a key element of the ProtectEU Internal Security Strategy, and it will help the EU and Member States respond to a rapidly evolving security environment and hybrid threats.
By connecting cutting-edge research with real operational needs, the Campus will make a substantial contribution to the Union's strategic autonomy and technological sovereignty in all security matters. It will support a more integrated European capability development model linking research, experimentation, testing, evaluation, validation, procurement, deployment and continuous operational feedback.
The Security Campus brings together Europe's security community to test technologies and deploy them swiftly. It unites a range of JRC laboratories and is structured around six interlinked pillars that reflect today’s security challenges:
- space, connectivity and quantum;
- border management;
- crisis management;
- defence;
- internal security;
- nuclear security.
This initiative will bring together national and EU security experts across a wide range of critical technologies, offering direct access to the JRC's world-class laboratories and research facilities as well as targeted training and the wider European security capability ecosystem.
The Commission will deepen its cooperation with key EU agencies, including Frontex, Europol, eu-LISA, and the European Defence Agency, as well as relevant authorities in the Member States and research institutions.
Background
Security research and innovation campus will be supported by Horizon Europe's security research programme and the future European Competitiveness Fund.
Last year, the European Commission presented its ProtectEU Strategy to support Member States and strengthen the EU's ability to guarantee security for its citizens in this rapidly evolving context. ProtectEU takes a foresight approach to EU internal security, guiding investments in security research and innovation.
Find out more
- Publication date
- 10 September 2026
- Author
- Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs