Edinburgh Napier University — Scottish Policing Academic Centre of Excellence

Edinburgh Napier University has been selected to host Scotland’s Policing Academic Centre of Excellence, reinforcing its position as a national leader in evidence-based policing research.

The Centre builds on the university’s role as host of the Scottish Institute for Policing Research and forms part of a UK-wide network of nine centres funded by UK Research and Innovation and supported by the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

Backed by £4.5 million in funding, the initiative brings together academic institutions, police services and policymakers to ensure policing practice is shaped by the latest scientific insight. Working with partner universities including Glasgow Caledonian, Edinburgh and St Andrews, the Centre will drive innovation in training, operational practice and public safety.

Known as the Scottish Policing Academic Centre for Excellence, the hub focuses on key thematic areas including safety, prevention and data analytics, alongside cross-cutting priorities such as public confidence and ethics. Research will explore issues ranging from crime prevention and organisational culture to AI-enabled analytics and emerging policing technologies.

By strengthening collaboration between academia and policing, the Centre supports knowledge exchange, evidence-informed policy development and skills innovation — ensuring policing evolves in response to complex societal challenges while maintaining public trust.

Full details available here