On 20 October 2025, the 11th round of the International Cold Case Analysis Project (ICCAP) kicked off. In this new round, more than 300 students from 25 universities across 11 countries joined forces with police academies alongside law enforcement officers from Germany to work on the analysis of real cold cases. Under the patronage and coordination of AMBER Alert Europe, ICCAP continues to grow as a unique project combining education and training with real cold cases in an international setting.

Global network on cold cases
ICCAP’s 11th round brings together universities from 11 countries, including partners from the EU’s wider neighbourhood such as the United Kingdom and Georgia, as well as universities in the United States, Canada, Australia and more. Working together in international teams, students with differing backgrounds collaborate with police academies and law enforcement officers from Germany on real cold cases. This mix of academic innovation and practical experience helps ICCAP participant’s revisit old unsolved cases from new angles and bring the latest research innovation, as well as more structure to complex files, while also exploring the benefits of different digital forensic tools for law enforcement

A renewed chance for victims in cold cases
As the world’s largest international cold case project, ICCAP gives unresolved cases a new possibility for justice to be served. For victims and their families, this means that files that have been inactive for years are examined again, this time with the involvement of different experts such as psychologists, forensic specialists, criminologists and students, creating a new chance for the resolution of the case. Through this approach, ICCAP supports victims’ rights in cold cases by helping to ensure that these unresolved old cases and victims are not forgotten.

Strengthening ICCAP through technology and innovation

ICCAP continues to explore how technology can be used for good in cold case work. Within the teams, students and experts look at how digital tools and new ways of organising information can help review complex case files and support cooperation across borders, within legal and ethical boundaries.

AMBER Alert Europe keeps strengthening ICCAP as a platform where universities, police academies, law enforcement and other partners can work together on innovative approaches to cold cases. By building on the lessons from each edition, the project transforms how cold cases are analysed, putting emphasis on their relevance.

For more information about participating in ICCAP, please see https://iccap.amberalert.eu or contact us at info@amberalert.eu.