Face biometrics from NineID deployed for access control at Belgian port
NineID has launched biometric access control to PSA Breakbulk’s shipping terminal in the port of Antwerp-Bruges, says a company release. The Ghent-based provider of facial recognition and biometrics for visitor management recently won recognition from the Minister of Justice and the North Sea for providing access control in compliance with tightened maritime security laws that came into effect in early 2023.
The facial authentication system will be used to control access to PSA Breakbulk’s full-service Project Cargo Ecosystem area on the south Churchill dock, as well as other port facilities. It utilizes selfie biometrics matched against ID documents to generate a QR code that triggers a facial scan at the gate. Once the facial scan has authenticated the visitor’s identity against the pre-registered face biometrics, they can access the restricted area.
The result, says PSA Breakbulk, is tighter port security, optimized visitor and contractor workflows, streamlined access control and increased efficiency.
“With the introduction of biometric facial authentication, we are increasing surveillance and access control at our terminal,” says Dennis Verbeeck, general manager of PSA Belgium’s Non-Container Division. “With this new technology, we now exceed the increasingly stringent International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) regulations. NineID’s facial verification biometric access control system offers an unprecedented level of precision and security, which is vital for the protection of our maritime operations.”
NineID, which also provides biometric technology to concert venue the World Forum The Hague, says the nod from Minister Paul Van Tigchelt and the National Authority for Maritime Security is a testament to the rigorous standards to which the company adheres in processing biometric data, and a sign of where access control is heading.
“Our collaboration with PSA Breakbulk is a clear proof of the effectiveness and reliability of our biometric access control system with facial authentication,” says Roy Jeunen, co-founder of NineID.
