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Frontex publishes technology foresight on biometrics for the future of travel

Millions of travellers cross the EU’s external borders every year and their numbers will likely increase even further. Thus, border checks will need to undergo significant transformations in the coming years, both to effectively safeguard the EU’s external borders and to improve the border crossing experience for travellers. Biometrics is one of the fields expected to significantly contribute to the attainment of these goals.

In light of this, Frontex has published the results of its Technology Foresight on Biometrics for the Future of Travel.

The publication is the outcome of a 9-month intensive project conducted in 2021, which aimed at studying the future of biometrics for its implementation in border check systems that may benefit the work of the European Border and Coast Guard (EBCG) community in both short and longer term.The research study consisted of five phases, which all produced their own set of insights intended to support the EBCG community in decision-making processes, compiled in the main report and its three annexes that can be accessed below:


FILES AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD

Technology Foresight on Biometrics for the Future of Travel – Executive Summary (1.9 MB)

Technology Foresight on Biometrics for the Future of Travel – Research Study (3.9 MB)

Technology Foresight on Biometrics for the Future of Travel – Annex I (3.8 MB)

Technology Foresight on Biometrics for the Future of Travel – Annex II (1.5 MB)

Technology Foresight on Biometrics for the Future of Travel – Annex III (6.2 MB)

We have identified and studied in detail the following biometric technologies with the strongest potential to influence the future strategic development of Integrated Border Management:

  • Contactless friction ridge recognition 
  • 3D face recognition 
  • Infrared face recognition 
  • Iris recognition in the NIR spectrum 
  • Iris recognition in the visible spectrum 

The research, conducted under the auspices of the EU Innovation Hub for Internal Security, was supported by the European Commission’s DG HOME, JRC, FRA, eu-LISA, Europol,  Member States’ border management authorities, Interpol, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), three EU-funded projects (D4FLY, eBORDER and iMARS), the European Association for Biometrics (EAB) as well as industries, universities, and research and technology organisations across Europe.