Imagine going through airport passport control and instead of waiting in long queues, a system recognizes you in seconds using multiple biometric checks — your face, fingerprints, even the veins in your fingers — all while you keep walking. PROTECT built exactly that: a multi-biometric identification system for automated border gates that processes low-risk travellers quickly so border guards can focus on the people who actually need checking. They tested it at two real border crossings with real travellers, tackling problems like spoofing (someone trying to trick the system with a fake fingerprint) and making sure the technology works across different ethnicities and conditions.
Border crossing points worldwide face a growing tension: passenger volumes keep rising while security requirements become stricter. Traditional passport control creates bottlenecks, frustrates travellers, and forces border guards to spread their attention thin across everyone instead of focusing on actual security risks. Existing single-biometric systems (just face or just fingerprint) are easier to spoof and less accurate across diverse populations.
PROTECT built functional multi-biometric demonstrators combining face, fingerprint, contactless finger vein, speaker recognition, and anthropometric identification — complete with counter-spoofing technology and operation manuals. These were tested at 2 real border crossing sites with diverse volunteer groups over 1-2 day demonstration events.
If you are an airport operator dealing with growing passenger volumes and long queues at passport control — this project developed a multi-biometric identification system tested at 2 real border crossing sites that combines face, fingerprint, finger vein, and voice recognition to speed up processing of low-risk travellers while improving security accuracy.
If you are an identity verification company looking to upgrade from single-biometric to multi-modal systems — PROTECT developed and demonstrated next-generation biometric methods including contactless finger vein and speaker recognition, with counter-spoofing capabilities, validated across 12 consortium partners in 6 countries.
If you are a transport operator running international border crossings and struggling with bottlenecks at checkpoints — PROTECT built functional demonstrators with assembly and operation manuals for automated border control that identifies travellers on the move, reducing the need for stop-and-check procedures.
The project data does not include specific pricing or cost-per-unit figures. However, PROTECT produced functional demonstrators with assembly, disassembly, and operation manuals, which suggests the system is designed for replicable deployment. Licensing and integration costs would need to be discussed directly with the consortium.
PROTECT was designed specifically for high-throughput border crossing scenarios. The system's core value proposition is efficiently processing low-risk travellers so guards can focus resources on higher-risk cases. Final demonstrations were conducted at 2 selected border crossing sites with diverse volunteer groups.
The consortium of 12 partners across 6 countries jointly developed the technology, with 4 industry partners and 5 universities involved. IP ownership and licensing terms would follow the Horizon 2020 grant agreement rules. Contact the coordinator at the University of Reading for licensing discussions.
Privacy was an integral part of the project — PROTECT explicitly included vulnerability and privacy assessment in its research programme. The system was designed with strong user-centric features and increased privacy standards. Specific GDPR compliance details should be verified with the consortium.
PROTECT delivered functional demonstrators with assembly, disassembly, and operation manuals, suggesting the system is designed for practical deployment. The project ran from 2016 to 2019 and produced 38 deliverables covering the full integration pathway. Timeline would depend on your current infrastructure.
The system combines optimized versions of currently deployed biometrics (face, fingerprint) with emerging modalities: contactless finger vein recognition, speaker recognition, and anthropometrics. It also includes multi-modal fusion and counter-spoofing capabilities to prevent identity fraud.
Yes. Final demonstrations were conducted at 2 selected end-user border crossing sites, each lasting 1-2 days. The testing specifically included volunteers of different sex, ethnic, and racial origin to ensure the system works reliably across diverse populations.
The PROTECT consortium brings together 12 partners from 6 countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Poland, UK), with a balanced mix of 5 universities providing biometric research expertise and 4 industry partners for real-world deployment capability. The 33% industry ratio and presence of 2 SMEs indicate a research-heavy but commercially aware team. Coordinated by the University of Reading — a recognized centre for biometrics research — the consortium is well-positioned to move from demonstrated technology toward commercial products, though a stronger industry presence would accelerate market entry.
The coordinator is The University of Reading (UK). Use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup service to find the right contact person.
Want an introduction to the PROTECT team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right people and provide a detailed technology brief tailored to your border security needs.
