Project

Launch of EU-funded H2020 project STARLIGHT

25 October 2021, Paris – STARLIGHT, an innovation project backed by the European union that aims enhance the EU’s strategic autonomy in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) for law enforcement agencies (LEAs), started the 1st of October 2021. The launch of STARLIGHT (Sustainable Autonomy and Resilience for LEAs using AI against High priority Threats) was officially marked the 6th and 7th October 2021 at a kick-off meeting held in Paris, France.

STARLIGHT is a four-year collaborative innovation project coordinated by CEA (The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission) that aims to improve the widespread understanding of legal and ethical usage of AI across law enforcement agencies, reinforcing their investigative and cybersecurity operations and helping them to combat the misuse of AI-supported crime and terrorism.

For the next four years, 52 partners representing 18 European countries, including 15 LEAs from 13 countries, will be working together to develop a new sustainable community. They will build a cohesive and strategic landscape that delivers interoperable and trustworthy AI solutions that uphold ethical and societal values to tackle high priority threats for all LEAs across Europe.

The partners designed STARLIGHT to build capabilities and capacities in AI within LEAs, but also within research and industry organizations who support LEAs.

“Our main goal is to enhance the EU’s strategic autonomy in the field of AI for LEAs. To do so, we will create more effective and efficient collaboration channels between EU Agencies, LEA, research organizations, small and medium enterprises and other business actors. Thus, we will improve the global European response to criminal threats and contribute to the establishment of a strong EU AI-based security industry” says Dr Nizar Touleimat, from CEA.

“Over the past decade, we’ve harnessed the power of big data, developed reliable data storage mechanisms, and established foundational principles in regards to legal and privacy concerns. This decade, we will focus on extracting strategic insights and operational perspectives from large, distributed data sets in an efficient, responsible, and transparent manner. CFLW will contribute to this ambition with insights and perspectives for a safer cyberspace” says Dr Mark van Staalduinen, from CFLW.

The main outcomes expected from this ambitious project are:

• the improvement and enrichment of LEAs’ knowledge and awareness of how AI can reinforce their operational and cybersecurity capabilities,
• the development of a cybersecurity strategy and of the associated effective measures to proactively protect AI LEA solutions against cyber threats (including provision for trustworthy AI),
• the delivery of a framework as environment for multi-stakeholder, collaborative AI analytics,
• and the creation of the European AI hub for LEAs as the centre of gravity for the European AI for LEA vision.

STARLIGHT has a duration of 48 months, starting from the 1st of October 2021, and a total budget of 18.8 million euros, of which 17.0 million euros funded by the European Union.

Contact in CEA: starlight@cea.fr
Contact in CFLW: info@cflw.com

For more information about the STARLIGHT project, visit https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101021797 or @Starlight_H2020 on Twitter.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101021797.