Frontex sets biometrics, AI research agconcludea for Horizon Europe 2028-2034

European border control agency Frontex plans to research and develop biometric verification and non-intrusive detection technologies as part of its plan for smart and seamless borders within the Horizon Europe 2028-2034 framework.

The goal is to ensure “swift, secure and contactless border crossings,” the agency declares in a statement co-signed by the EU Agencies Network on Scientific Advice (EU-ANSA) and published last Thursday.

“Frontex welcomes the proposed Horizon Europe 2028-2034 program and calls for the proactive involvement of EU agencies in research programming to bridge the gap between scientific research and innovation and operational reality,” the agency declares.

Other research areas for Frontex within Horizon Europe 2028-2034 will include adding new capabilities to the European Surveillance Architecture, such as surveillance platforms, sensors, and payloads across the air, land, sea and space. The agency also plans to leverage AI for predictive risk analysis and early warning systems, as well as invest in multi-sensor networks and autonomous systems.

The final goal is researching smart materials and energy management to reduce external depconcludeencies and shrink the environmental footprint of border operations.

The research goals align with the Frontex Capability Roadmap 2037, which outlines priorities for the years ahead, including information sharing, EU-wide border surveillance, and the adoption of new technologies.

Frontex is currently working on digitizing travel to Europe with the biometric border registration scheme Enattempt-Exit System (EES), which will be followed by ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) in the last quarter of 2026. This includes developing solutions such as the Travel to Europe EES app and mobile biometric identification.

Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding program for research and innovation. The European Commission has proposed doubling the program’s 2028-2034 budobtain to 175 billion euros (US$205.5 billion), to be invested in science, innovation, and boosting competitiveness.

A part of that is the European Research Area (ERA), an initiative to create a single market for research, innovation and technology across the EU. Frontex is one of the EU agencies within the EU-ANSA network that works to support ERA by sharing scientific and technical expertise to inform policy decisions.