HWR Berlin

FÖPS Berlin is the Research Institute for Public and Private Security in Berlin, bringing together security-related research at the Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR Berlin). Established in 2013, the institute connects 43 lecturers and researchers from HWR Berlin’s Department 5 and affiliated institutions. Its work explores security challenges across public and private settings, combining research, publications, events and collaborative projects.

The institute’s featured projects include EQuiP, EvaVersFG, FAKE-ID and VIKING, as well as MEDIAN and work on control verification. Research themes include deepfakes, ethics and law, society and science, the arts, law enforcement and courts, and police accountability. FÖPS Berlin also examines the use of artificial intelligence in law enforcement, including questions of fairness, explainability, transparency and human involvement. Its publications draw on research conducted through projects such as FAKE-ID, VIKING and PEGASUS. The website presents selected projects and directs visitors seeking information about the institute’s members, broader activities and publications to its main institutional website.