Category: Events

  • CarMen Project Showcased at EU Flagship Event on Biometrics and Security

    CarMen Project Showcased at EU Flagship Event on Biometrics and Security

    We are pleased to share that the CarMen project was successfully featured at the high-level event “Biometrics in Action for Border Management & Fight Against Crime and Terrorism”, co-organised by the European Association for Biometrics (EAB) and the European Commission’s CERIS (Community for European Research and Innovation for Security), on 23–24 September 2025 in Darmstadt, Germany, as a part of Darmstadt Biometrics Week.

    As an EU-funded initiative, CarMen was invited to present its latest results and innovations, reflecting its growing impact and relevance in the fields of biometrics, digital identity, and security technologies. The event brought together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and technology developers to explore the opportunities and challenges of applying biometric technologies in border management, crime prevention, and counterterrorism.

    During the event, the CarMen team delivered a dedicated presentation outlining the project’s objectives, key achievements, and innovative solutions developed to support secure and ethical biometric systems. In addition, a hands-on demonstration of the project’s tools and applications was featured in the exhibition area, drawing attention from stakeholders across Europe’s security and innovation communities.

    Participation in this event offered a valuable opportunity to:
    • Showcase the project’s contributions to European security research.
    • Engage with end-users, fellow researchers, and policy stakeholders.
    • Help shape the future direction of biometric technologies and digital identity solutions in Europe.

    We thank the EAB and DG HOME for the opportunity to contribute to this important dialogue, and we look forward to continuing collaboration across the EU research and innovation landscape.

  • Towards seamless and secure borders: CarMen and BorderForce join forces for the future of border management

    Towards seamless and secure borders: CarMen and BorderForce join forces for the future of border management

    In an age where global mobility must meet high security standards, two innovative EU-funded projects CarMen and BorderForce are coming together to shape the future of European border management.  In a recent joint event „Towards seamless and secure borders: Joint synergies of CarMen & BorderForce projects in border management,” held on July 30th 2025, both consortia explored how their complementary approaches can strengthen border security while safeguarding fundamental rights.

    At the heart of both CarMen and BorderForce lies a common mission: enhancing border control systems without compromising privacy, legal compliance, and ethical standards. CarMen is redefining identity verification through next-generation biometric authentication “on the move”, enabling non-stop border crossings and seamless traveler experiences. BorderForce delivers real-time situational awareness, deploying self-sufficient, transportable command and control stations that are configurable and extendable for various border scenarios. Together, these projects form two halves of a holistic approach: CarMen brings the intelligence, BorderForce delivers the oversight.

    A recent strategic meeting between the CarMen and BorderForce consortia provided a valuable platform to explore synergies and deepen collaboration in the realm of border security and innovation.

    CarMen presented its focus on biometric identity management and non-intrusive, real-time traveler verification, while BorderForce highlighted its expertise in surveillance, data fusion, operational command, and immersive training.

    The two consortia identified shared objectives, including a commitment to enhancing automation and operational efficiency, developing resilient and interoperable systems, and maintaining the highest levels of ethical and legal compliance.

    Looking ahead, both groups discussed key technical challenges, risk management strategies, and the importance of open dialogue and ongoing cooperation. With field trials, conferences, and joint workshops on the horizon, CarMen and BorderForce are dedicated to continued engagement, ensuring that Europe’s borders are not only secure, but also smart, adaptive, and humane.

  • Conference with a special session by CarMen – project presented at the conference “European Union funds as a source of financing the development activities of SMEs”

    Conference with a special session by CarMen – project presented at the conference “European Union funds as a source of financing the development activities of SMEs”

    The CarMen project – “Contactless Biometric Border Control for Safer and More Efficient Crossing”, funded under the Horizon Europe programme, participated in a conference with a special session by CarMen. It was presented as a best practice example at the conference “European Union Funds as a Source of Financing the Development Activities of SMEs”, held at Pan-European University “APEIRON” in Banja Luka, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    The event was organised by the Notitia Ltd., Association of Lawyers and Economists “ERK”, with the support of the Ministry of Economy and Entrepreneurship of the Government of Republika Srpska, and gathered SMEs, business support organisations, financial experts, and project management professionals.

    Notitia Ltd, the only CarMen project partner from the Western Balkans region and co-organiser of the conference, shared insights on how participation in high-level EU security research projects can contribute to digital and social transformation, regional innovation growth, and knowledge transfer.

    The CarMen project was highlighted as a successful example of interdisciplinary and cross-border cooperation, demonstrating how EU-funded programmes offer real opportunities for SMEs to grow, access funding, and strengthen their business. These aspects are particularly relevant for SMEs in digital and technology sectors, offering them access to funding, expertise, and new markets.

    The conference underlined that EU funds are more than financial instruments, they are powerful tools for strategic collaboration, capacity building, and the application of European standards, paving the way for long-term, sustainable development across the region.

  • CarMen project participated at a communication event – presented at Projects to Policy Seminar 2025 in Brussels

    CarMen project participated at a communication event – presented at Projects to Policy Seminar 2025 in Brussels

    The CarMen project participated on a communication event – it was presented at the Projects to Policy Seminar (PPS) 2025, held in Brussels, June 4-5, 2025, and organised by the European Research Executive Agency (REA) and the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME). The seminar gathered coordinators from 32 newly launched civil security research projects funded under the Horizon Europe programme.

    The primary goal of the seminar was to align research activities with EU policy priorities, strengthen the policy relevance of ongoing projects, and encourage cross-domain collaboration across the civil security research landscape.

    CarMen was featured within the Border Management thematic breakout session, alongside three other key areas: (1) Disaster-Resilient Societies (DRS), (2) Fighting Crime and Terrorism / Resilient Infrastructure (FCT/INFRA), (3) Strengthened Security Research and Innovation (SSRI).

    Participation in the seminar provided the CarMen consortium with valuable perspectives on the ethical, legal, and societal implications of security innovation, with a strong focus on the responsible use of biometric and personal data, a core element of the CarMen project.

    These insights will contribute to further aligning the project with evolving EU border management policies, reinforcing its commitment to ethical innovation, and enhancing its long-term impact and replicability across Europe.

  • CarMen project presented as a good practice example at the Sustainable Tourism Education event

    CarMen project presented as a good practice example at the Sustainable Tourism Education event

    As part of the Education on Sustainable Tourism event held in Velika Gorica, Croatia on May 26, 2025, the CarMen project was presented as a good practice example demonstrating how a multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach can drive both digital and social transformation in the context of sustainable tourism.

    The CarMen project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme, explores innovative solutions for contactless and non-invasive biometric border control. These technologies not only enhance border efficiency but also contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions, minimising congestion, and preserving local environments, key priorities in the shift toward more sustainable and responsible travel.

    By aligning with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the CarMen project showcases how digital innovation can directly support greener and more seamless travel experiences, especially in tourism-intensive regions and entry points such as airports, ports, and land border crossings.

    This communication event highlighted the importance of collaboration between sectors, including technology, public policy, mobility, and tourism as essential to building a more sustainable and digitally empowered future for European travel.

  • CarMen at the Martigny Biometrics Workshop

    CarMen at the Martigny Biometrics Workshop

    On May 19-20 2025, our project partner IDIAP Research Institute hosted in Martigny (Switzerland) a Biometrics workshop co-organised with the European Association for Biometrics (EAB) and the Center for Identification Technology Research (CITeR).

    This workshop was an opportunity to meet researchers, engineers, policy experts, practitioners and end-users in biometric technologies.

    Following the success of the 2020 and 2023 editions, this year’s workshop offered in-depth exploration and exchange on some of the most pressing issues shaping the field today, such as:

    *Presentation, Morphing, and Deepfake Attack Detection
    *Biometric Template Protection and Security
    *Foundation Models for Biometrics
    *Biometrics under the AI Act    .

    Our project coordinator YNCREA MEDITERRANEE presented the CarMen project during the workshop.

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