INTERCEPT Project: From Preparation to Action

The INTERCEPT project has successfully completed its 12-month mission to prepare the foundations for a future Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP). The PCP will focus on developing innovative technologies to remotely and safely stop vehicles, a solution that does not exist on the current market.

Because of the unique and sensitive nature of this challenge, such technologies were not developed through a traditional commercial approach. Instead, INTERCEPT laid the groundwork for a PCP, which is designed to encourage innovation and collaboration between public authorities and industry.

Working Together: End Users and Industry

The project was highly collaborative.

• End users – A User Observatory Group and a Public Buyers Group were created. Together with the INTERCEPT team and security services acting as project partners, they defined the operational needs for the future technology.
• Industry players – A Call for Interest was launched to test the market’s willingness to engage in this area. This was followed by Open Market Consultations, including an RFI questionnaire, webinars, an e-pitching session, and a central event in Warsaw in June. These activities allowed procurers to present their needs, check findings from the state-of-the-art analysis, and gather feedback from potential suppliers.

To encourage collaboration, the project also created a matchmaking platform, helping companies find potential partners for the PCP phase.

Group photo from the last INTERCEPT meeting in Paris

From Many Scenarios to One Common Challenge

A major achievement of INTERCEPT was the development of a single, consolidated challenge for future technology development.

This was the result of an intensive process. Initially, partners developed and worked with 10 potential scenarios, which were then narrowed to six use cases and then to three priority cases:

1. Complex threat and pursuit scenario by car
2. Urban agile threat involving high-powered motorcycles and e-bicycles
3. Distressed driver operating a large passenger coach

After careful assessment of criteria such as operational relevance, technical feasibility, vehicle types, threat level, and testing environments, the process consistently identified Use Case 1 – a complex threat and pursuit scenario involving a car – as the most representative and actionable.

The Consolidated Common Challenge

Based on this final use case, the INTERCEPT partners agreed on a consolidated common challenge to guide the upcoming PCP:

To develop an innovative and reliable technology capable of safely and remotely stopping non-compliant vehicles that pose an immediate security threat in public spaces without causing harm to bystanders, passengers, or other road users, and without disrupting the broader transport environment.

What Comes Next

The INTERCEPT project has prepared the path for a Pre-Commercial Procurement that can deliver breakthrough technologies to improve public safety across Europe.

Follow our channels to stay informed – the INTERCEPT team aims to move from preparation to action and launch the PCP phase. The goal is to develop solutions that could revolutionise safety for all of us.