Announcements

On 30 November, Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, will hold the third International Conference on Biometrics for Borders (ICBB 2021) in Warsaw, Poland. The agency would like to invite representatives of industry to showcase innovative technologies dealing with advanced biometrics and/or with the tackling of its associated vulnerabilities. The exhibition will take place online between 23 November and 3 December.

The target audience are national authorities from the European Union (EU) Member States and non-EU countries, EU policy-makers and agencies, researchers and industry with a demonstrated interest in the topic presented.

The exhibition will provide border management authorities and other participants with an insight into the latest developments in the field of biometrics and the way in which these technologies are impacting border control now and in the future.

To accommodate this, the exhibition intends to provide a virtual space for industry to showcase:

• new and existing products, services, and technologies dealing with the use of advanced biometrics in the context of border control;

• relevant research projects focusing on biometrics interoperability at technical and organisational levels and the development of associated tools and/or methods;

• technology relying on large scale interoperability to provide enhanced functionality to border management services.

The technology or project showcased that do not have an actual application in current border controls will be also considered if the technology or research project demonstrate future potential relevance to the border control domain. Topics may vary from biometric interoperability solutions under development to topics from the field of artificial intelligence/machine learning.

Due to health concerns and restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, physical participation will be limited to speakers, panelists, and Member State authorities. Selected industry representatives will also be invited to take part in a dedicated session. The selection of industry representatives will be based on the relevance of the technology in relation to the conference thematic focus (biometric interoperability) and application considering operational requirements raised by Member State authorities.

Important deadlines and practical information

Should you wish to exhibit during the conference, please respond to this invitation by completing an online survey which will be open from 15 August 2021 (23:59 CET) up to 12 September 2021 (23:59 CET). You are kindly invited to register using a business contact e-mail address and include a clear description of the products/innovations you would like to showcase including leaflets and supporting material. The address to access the survey is the following:

https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/industry-icbb-2021

The received offers will be evaluated and selected based on their relevance to the theme of conference in a way that ensures that different thematic areas are adequately represented. The outcome of the evaluation of the submitted offers including the selection of representatives to participate in the online exhibition and in-person to the dedicated industry session in the physical event will be announced no later than 1 November 2021.

Details on the online platform as well as other logistical information will be sent only to participants who have successfully registered. Industry representatives invited to participate in-person will be asked to cover their costs of travel, their own accommodation and any additional costs incurred.