Ettevalmistustoetuse taotlus (SEA-RED)

5868670 428625 0 0 -3810 9839325 Ehitajate tee 5 19086 Tallinn Rg-kood 74000323 Tel 620 2002 E-post [email protected] www.taltech.ee 0 0 Ehitajate tee 5 19086 Tallinn Rg-kood 74000323 Tel 620 2002 E-post [email protected] www.taltech.ee -3810 428625 0 0 SA Eesti Teadusagentuur Soola 8 20 .0 3 .2025 nr 11-10/ 351- 4 5 1004 Tartu Ettevalmistustoetuse taotlemine Käesolevaga taotleb Tallinna Tehnikaülikool ( reg nr 74000323, ak EE201010052037382001 ) ettevalmistustoetust p rojekti de le : 1. Development and demonstration of interoperable and actionable solutions for EU maritime border and critical infrastructure surveillance , considering also the Arctic conditions – SEA-RED ( 101225902 , HORIZON-CL3-2024-BM-01 ) , vastutav täitja professor Kristjan Tabri, Kuressaare Kolledž ; 2. Portable drug analyser for law enforcement agencies and forensic science institutions for faster , more accurate and more affordable detection of illegal drug use to fight drug-related crime – ForenX ( 101225581 , HORIZON-CL3-2024-FCT-01 ), vastutav täitja nooremprofessor Jekaterina Mazina-Šinkar, keemia ja biotehnoloogia instituut. Lugupidamisega (allkirjastatud digitaalselt) Marika Lunden Teadusosakond Lisa: ESR id left 284480 Riina Vilgats 620 3536 [email protected] 0 0 Riina Vilgats 620 3536 [email protected] This electronic receipt is a digitally signed version of the document submitted by your organisation. Both the content of the document and a set of metadata have been digitally sealed. This digital signature mechanism, using a public-private key pair mechanism, uniquely binds this eReceipt to the modules of the Funding & Tenders Portal of the European Commission, to the transaction for which it was generated and ensures its full integrity. Therefore a complete digitally signed trail of the transaction is available both for your organisation and for the issuer of the eReceipt. Any attempt to modify the content will lead to a break of the integrity of the electronic signature, which can be verified at any time by clicking on the eReceipt validation symbol. More info about eReceipts can be found in the FAQ page of the Funding & Tenders Portal. (https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/faq)  Associated with document Ref. Ares(2025)2059610 - 14/03/2025 Proposal Evaluation Form EUROPEAN COMMISSION Evaluation Summary Horizon Europe (HORIZON) Report - Research and innovation actions Call: HORIZON-CL3-2024-FCT-01 Type of action: HORIZON-RIA Proposal number: 101225581 Proposal acronym: ForenX Duration (months): 36 Proposal title: Portable drug analyser for law enforcement agencies and forensic science institutions for faster, more accurate and more affordable detection of illegal drug use to fight drug-related crime Activity: HORIZON-CL3-2024-FCT-01-02 N. Proposer name Country Total % Grant % eligible Requested costs 1 TALLINNA TEHNIKAÜLIKOOL EE 847,575 18.83% 847,575 18.83% 2 SAFEPAS OU EE 1,361,250 30.25% 1,361,250 30.25% 3 SMITHS DETECTION WATFORD LIMITED UK 256,250 5.69% 256,250 5.69% 4 KENTRO MELETON ASFALEIAS EL 472,500 10.50% 472,500 10.50% 5 UNIWERSYTET JAGIELLONSKI PL 486,050 10.80% 486,050 10.80% 6 MINISTERSTWO SPRAWIEDLIWOSCI PL 329,075 7.31% 329,075 7.31% 7 LIETUVOS TEISMO EKSPERTIZES CENTRAS LT 266,875 5.93% 266,875 5.93% 8 Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet EE 213,925 4.75% 213,925 4.75% 9 INSPECTORATUL GENERAL AL POLITIEI MD 79,375 1.76% 79,375 1.76% 10 IEKSLIETU MINISTRIJAS VALSTS POLICIJA STATE LV 82,750 1.84% 82,750 1.84% POLICE OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR 11 AYUNTAMIENTO DE MADRID ES 104,375 2.32% 104,375 2.32% Total: 4,500,000 4,500,000 Abstract: The ForenX project aims to equip European police authorities and forensic institutes with a next-generation portable drug use detector based on the capillary electrophoresis technique that brings lab-grade drug detection accuracy to the field for a fraction of the cost. This makes wide-scale testing campaigns truly possible and effective for the first time. It will help to tackle the rising incidence of drug-related crimes such as driving under the influence of drugs and drug-facilitated sexual assaults, which have achieved unseen heights because of low chances of being caught due to a lack of proper tools for drug use detection by law enforcement officers. The work will base on a scientific breakthrough that reduces the detection limits of capillary electrophoresis by using advanced detection technologies such as ultrasensitive deep UV fluorescence and impedance, ensuring the system can detect trace amounts of drugs even in complex, multidrug use scenarios. The project focuses on developing and validating a fully automatized and truly portable, miniaturized drug analyzer capable of detecting a wide range of illegal drugs (most common traditional drugs, New Psychoactive Substances) in multiple sample matrices (oral fluids, urine, plant material). This requires several hardware prototyping iterations, development of chemical methodologies, training of the AI-based expert system and creation of an advanced information exchange functionality. The project’s impact extends well beyond technological advancements as the action plan includes extensive testing, demonstration, end user training, communication, dissemination, standardized drug testing policy development and planning for post-project exploitation. Evaluation Summary Report Evaluation Result Total score: 14.00 (Threshold: 10 ) 101225581/ForenX-14/03/2025-11:33:21 1/4  Associated with document Ref. Ares(2025)2059610 - 14/03/2025 Criterion 1 - Excellence Score: 4.50 (Threshold: 3 / 5.00 , Weight: - ) The following aspects will be taken into account, to the extent that the proposed work corresponds to the description in the work programme: - Clarity and pertinence of the project’s objectives, and the extent to which the proposed work is ambitious and goes beyond the state of the art. - Soundness of the proposed methodology, including the underlying concepts, models, assumptions, inter-disciplinary approaches, appropriate consideration of the gender dimension in research and innovation content, and the quality of open science practices, including sharing and management of research outputs and engagement of citizens, civil society and end users where appropriate. The proposal comprehensively addresses an important criminal issue. Its goals are very clearly defined, and they are very much pertinent to the call. The goals are also realistically achievable, and their attainment can be verified due to a good list of relevant and measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The proposal is very ambitious. It displays a very well understood grounding in the current state of the art, including currently ongoing relevant research projects such as DrugHunter, DrugDetect, ARMADILLO, Detection Hub. Positively, collaboration and synergies with these projects are already envisaged. It also explains the existing methods, commercial solutions, and their limitations for determining whether a person is under influence of drugs: laboratory tests, on- the-spot tests, and capillary electrophoresis based detection. Therewith, it clearly identifies the existing gaps and the area of work where it will significantly advance the state of art, for example regarding the ability to detect the existence of drugs which are metabolised quickly. This aspect of the proposal is excellent. It is very positive that the proposal will work with previous results from a consortium partner, and will take these from TRL4 to TRL7. This level of innovation is fully in line with the work programme. The scientific methodology for all planned steps is sound. Adequate methods and means were selected properly and very clearly described, with particular attention to the identification of key factors. The approach is well chosen. The analysis of existing practices in the police and forensic laboratories is useful, and so is the inclusion of end-users for training and field testing, to provide feedback for design improvements. The two strong advantages of the proposed portable analyzer are quantitative determinations of drugs and multiplexity. The latter allows for easy further extending of the range of drugs covered by a single test. However, as a minor shortcoming, the description of the minimal technical and performance parameters for the analyzer is not detailed enough. The proposal includes AI algorithms, and in principle recognises the need for taking measures to ensure their robustness. However, the corresponding description in the proposal is rather generic and does not convincingly argue in that regard. The specific required inter-disciplinary competencies are identified and well integrated into the proposal setup. In particular, chemical, toxicological and software development knowledge are present. There is a particular gender dimension, which is correctly addressed in the proposal. For example, there will be useful meta-analyses of drug-related studies concerning gender biases. Open science practices are very well implemented, with plans to publish scientific papers in open access journals, early and open sharing of results by pre-prints, sharing findings on drug abuse rate and intoxication threshold limits on websites open to public, and participation in open peer-review. Research data management is described in general and with reference to the FAIR principles. Criterion 2 - Impact Score: 4.50 (Threshold: 3 / 5.00 , Weight: - ) The following aspects will be taken into account, to the extent that the proposed work corresponds to the description in the work programme: - Credibility of the pathways to achieve the expected outcomes and impacts specified in the work programme, and the likely scale and significance of the contributions from the project. - Suitability and quality of the measures to maximise expected outcomes and impacts, as set out in the dissemination and exploitation plan, including communication activities. All expected outcomes specified in the work programme are very well addressed. The description of the pathways for achieving each outcome is detailed, logical and thus credible. Concrete improvements in evidence collection and enhancing forensic evidence for legal proceedings are plausibly argued for. Also the wider impacts that a new detection device can bring are well analysed in the project proposal. The scale and significance of the impacts are very well described, providing a plausible predictive estimate of operational as well as financial advantages to be realised. Potential barriers to adoption of the results are thoroughly researched, and include differences in regulatory environments, long procurement processes, and a possible perception bias to well-established technologies over new ones. These barriers are countered with well-thought-out and effective mitigation measures. The measures to maximise the expected outcomes and impacts of the project are of a very high standard. The dissemination, exploitation, and communication measures are well-structured, highly effective, and expertly crafted. The target groups are well identified. The exploitation plan is very well conceived. Steps towards commercialisation of the analyser after the project, to TRL8, are foreseen and an initial draft of a business plan is available in the project proposal. It includes a list of the main competitors and the parameters of their products, and an estimation of the market size. Further provisions on IPR management are also elaborated. There is a strong focus on patent applications as one means to protect IPR, however, as a minor shortcoming, the ownership of the future foreground IPR is not made explicit enough. Criterion 3 - Quality and efficiency of the implementation Score: 5.00 (Threshold: 3 / 5.00 , Weight: - ) 101225581/ForenX-14/03/2025-11:33:21 2/4  Associated with document Ref. Ares(2025)2059610 - 14/03/2025 The following aspects will be taken into account, to the extent that the proposed work corresponds to the description in the work programme: - Quality and effectiveness of the work plan, assessment of risks, and appropriateness of the effort assigned to work packages, and the resources overall. - Capacity and role of each participant, and the extent to which the consortium as a whole brings together the necessary expertise. The work plan is of good quality and effective. It is well-structured into six work packages and comprehensive, with an excellent amount of detail. The interconnections between the different work packages in the proposal have been identified well in the proposal. The definition and timing of tasks, deliverables and milestones is well chosen, and a well-developed GANTT chart visualises all important events. This enables effective project monitoring. It is positive that a dedicated Ethics Advisory Committee is going to be formed. Critical risks are identified and analysed well, with plausible, realistic and appropriate mitigation measures. Personnel and other costs are presented in a detailed way and allocated in line with the main goals and expected results. The distribution of effort is balanced between the consortium partners. All partners have the capacity to execute their allocated work in the project, and have valid roles matching their respective competences. The consortium brings together all the needed expertise. All relevant disciplines and activities along the value chain of the project are represented: LEAs, academics, forensic institutes and commercial companies. It is excellent that end users are also very thoroughly involved. Together, the consortium can ensure all the steps from initial research through final implementation and to further exploitation. Scope of the application Status: Yes Comments (in case the proposal is out of scope) Not provided Exceptional funding A third country participant/international organisation not listed in the General Annex to the Main Work Programme may exceptionally receive funding if their participation is essential for carrying out the project (for instance due to outstanding expertise, access to unique know-how, access to research infrastructure, access to particular geographical environments, possibility to involve key partners in emerging markets, access to data, etc.). (For more information, see the HE programme guide ) Please list the concerned applicants and requested grant amount and explain the reasons why. Based on the information provided, the following participants should receive exceptional funding: Not provided Based on the information provided, the following participants should NOT receive exceptional funding: Not provided Use of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) Status: No If YES, please state whether the use of hESC is, or is not, in your opinion, necessary to achieve the scientific objectives of the proposal and the reasons why. Alternatively, please state if it cannot be assessed whether the use of hESC is necessary or not, because of a lack of information. Not provided Use of human embryos Status: No If YES, please explain how the human embryos will be used in the project. Not provided Activities excluded from funding Status: No 101225581/ForenX-14/03/2025-11:33:21 3/4  Associated with document Ref. Ares(2025)2059610 - 14/03/2025 If YES, please explain. Not provided Do no significant harm principle Status: Yes If Partially/No/Cannot be assessed please explain Not provided Exclusive focus on civil applications Status: Yes If NO, please explain. Not provided Artificial Intelligence Status: Yes If YES, the technical robustness of the proposed system must be evaluated under the appropriate criterion. Overall comments This proposal is a resubmission. The previous ESR was shared with the experts at the end of the consensus meeting. 101225581/ForenX-14/03/2025-11:33:21 4/4  Digitally sealed by the European Commission Date: 2025.03.14 12:03:28 CET This electronic receipt is a digitally signed version of the document submitted by your organisation. Both the content of the document and a set of metadata have been digitally sealed. This digital signature mechanism, using a public-private key pair mechanism, uniquely binds this eReceipt to the modules of the Funding & Tenders Portal of the European Commission, to the transaction for which it was generated and ensures its full integrity. Therefore a complete digitally signed trail of the transaction is available both for your organisation and for the issuer of the eReceipt. Any attempt to modify the content will lead to a break of the integrity of the electronic signature, which can be verified at any time by clicking on the eReceipt validation symbol. More info about eReceipts can be found in the FAQ page of the Funding & Tenders Portal. (https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/faq) Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË - Tel. +32 22991111