On 9 January 2026 in Vilnius, the event “Last Mile to Innovation: From Challenges to Wins” brought together law enforcement, security practitioners, RTOs’, and technology developers, municipalities to exchange best practices and share lessons learned from their experiences in implementing innovations within their organizations.
The CITADEL project was presented as a strategic enabler addressing one of the most pressing challenges in the security innovation ecosystem: access to funding. This is widely recognized as a key barrier for SMEs seeking to sustain innovation throughout the entire development journey from initial concept to full deployment.
The event also highlighted the importance of fostering closer collaboration between SMEs, innovators, and end users. Such partnerships are essential to ensure deeper engagement in the co-creation process, allowing innovations to effectively address current challenges and meet real-world user needs.
Open discussions during the event explored the specific obstacles that end users face when adopting new technologies, as well as strategies for how different stakeholders can work together to overcome these hurdles. The dialogue emphasized that strong cooperation across the ecosystem is critical for turning innovative ideas into practical, widely adopted solutions.
