Infocert seeking partners for EU border biometrics project
European trust and digital identity services provider InfoCert is seeking partners to work on biometric checks through the EU Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet for border control.
The project would contend for funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe (2021-2027) Border Management 2023 project for biometrics technologies that could be used for identification and verification of people crossing external EU borders. The deadline for submissions is November 23, 2023.
Infocert, which is part of Tinexta Group, describes itself as the largest certification authority in Europe and one of the foremost eIDAS-compliant Qualified Trust Service Providers (QTSP) and Digital Identity Providers. The company has participated in several EU-funded Horizon 2020 innovation projects and is part of the IMPULSE alliance (Identity Management in PUbLic SErvices) which deployed artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies to improve online identification processes.
According to the specifications of the Border Management 2023 call for project “Beyond the state-of-the-art ‘biometrics on the move’ for border checks,” the biometric solutions should maximize travelers’ experiences, accuracy and reliability while minimizing the handling of personal data.
They should improve the capacity of the European Border and Coast Guard (EBCG) at border crossing while maintaining free movement within the Schengen area. The call highlights that public sector applications of biometrics may have higher requirements than applications in the consumer market.
Research should come up with biometric border management solutions that go beyond fingerprints and facial images. Proposed projects should particularly investigate biometrics modalities that currently do not offer satisfactory performance in terms of accuracy, reliability, usability, minimization of data, risk of bias etc. but potentially offer significant advantages over existing solutions in the short or medium term, the call notes.
