Nine forensic institutes of the German police and Customs are involved in the analytical process. The universities are pivotal in the areas of synthesis, pharmacological evaluation and research of metabolites of NPS. Each analytical project partner fulfills a particular aspect within the competence network. The scientific headquarter of the project is situated in Kiel at the State Bureau of Criminal Investigation Schleswig-Holstein, and most analytical data acquisition, processing, and publication are performed here. Like the other forensic institutes in Germany, not all analytical techniques are available in Kiel. Thus, within the ADEBAR project framework, the analytical capabilities of the project partners are leveraged to acquire a comprehensive analytical dataset. Through the multitude of analytical instrumentation available in the project partners' laboratories, the application scope of the analytical dataset is expanded to more forensic practitioners in the EU and beyond. The expertise of different project partners is also used to develop new methods for quantifying NPS.

The workflow mechanisms of structural elucidation for new substances and analytical data acquisition on known substances within the ADEBAR project is illustrated in a process flow chart below (see below). The samples are characterized using spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques (GC–MS, [N]IR, GC-sIR, NMR, LC-[HR]MS, and Raman). Once substance characterization has been completed, the analytical report is prepared on the findings and published nationally, Europe-wide, and globally, including the timely transmission of reports to the Early Warning System (EWS) of the EMCDDA. The reports and the analytical data converted into universal electronic formats are made available via national and international forums and databases free of charge.

The selection of analytical techniques necessary to reach a scientifically sound conclusion depending on the analytical question presented can be derived from the analytical scheme of the recommendations of the Scientific Working Group for the Analysis of Seized Drugs (SWGDRUG) and the best practice manual of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI). Analytical techniques are stratified according to their level of selectivity achievable under ideal circumstances. Category A analytical techniques achieve the highest selectivity for reliable identification of analytes. The unequivocal identification of a compound according to recommendations by SWGDRUG and ENFSI requires the combination of uncorrelated analytical techniques that exploit different chemical and physical properties. Combinations of two analytical techniques, with at least one being of category A, or a combination of three (two category B + one category C) are sufficient. Within the ADEBAR project, the minimum requirement for a valid identification always requires two analytical techniques of category A in the analytical scheme to reliably differentiate closely related isomers.

The ADEBAR project holds a vital role in the structural elucidation and characterization of NPS appearing on the drug market in the EU. The close collaboration of the ADEBAR project with the EMCDDA/EUDA results in the timely exchange of information and better monitoring of the spread and potential harms associated with NPS. This data exchange facilitates the timely reporting of the detection of NPS in other member states of the EU. The dynamic of the NPS and designer drug market is unlikely to subside in the future. Additional research by big pharmaceutical companies, especially in the area of cannabinoid receptor modulators, could lead to the emergence of new classes of synthetic cannabimimetics. A central institution for the structure elucidation and acquisition of valid, high-quality analytical data is important in the future.