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EABxCERIS– Biometrics Under Pressure: Reliable Identity in Complex Operational Environments

Date: 2026-09-15 (08:45-19:00) Location: Fraunhofer IGD, Fraunhoferstraße 5, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany

Organizer: The European Association for Biometrics (EAB) in cooperation with the European Commission, under the Community for European Research and Innovation for Security (CERIS).

Attendance is free of charge but registration is required.

Registrations are now opened


Registration (ext.)

Building on the success of the first EABxCERIS event on Biometrics in Action, this second edition expands the scope to bring together stakeholders across the Horizon Europe research programme, including EU-funded projects across three domains: 1) border management; 2) fight against crime and terrorism; and 3) disaster resilience societies.

Tuesday, 15 September 2026

08:45

Registrations & Welcome Coffee

Opening
09:30 Dinusha Frings
Giulio Mancini

Opening

 European Association for Biometrics
DG Home
Keynote
09:40

Keynote Speaker

10:10 Giulio Mancini
Javier Galbally

Independent Evaluation of Biometric Technology in the EU

Presentation & open discussion

 DG Home
eu-LISA
10:40

Coffee Break & Networking

Meet the Projects Around the Lobby
Project Session I: ARIEN, IMPROV-EU, BORDERLINK
11:15 ARIEN
IMPROV-EU
BORDERLINK

When Biometrics Meet Reality: Shared Challenges across domains

3 “Reality Check” interventions centred around the three workshop domains:

  • Border Management

  • Figting Crime and Terrorism

  • Disaster Resilient Societies

The focus is on what doesn’t work well. Followed by a moderated panel discussion.

11:45 James Ferryman

Panel Discussion: When Biometrics Meet Reality

 University of Reading
12:30

Lunch break

Project Session II: Interactive Short-Presentations
14:00 EU Funded Project Representatives

Projects Showcase

Short dynamic EU Project presentations focused on the problems they address, the operational context and early lessons learnt.

Project Session III: Deep-dive Sessions
15:00 TBD

Deep-dive Session: Constraints to Biometrics Systems

Participants split into 4 break-out rooms to carry a co-creation session, where they explore key challenges identified throughout the workshop.

Each room is led by one EU Agency Representative:

  • Room 1: Biometrics in Degraded Environments

  • Room 2: Speed vs Accuracy vs Legal Constraints

  • Room 3: Multisource and multimodal identity

  • Room 4: Human factors & Trust

Each group should produce input for discussion on:

  • Top 3 challenges; top 3 R&I needs; and, key recommendations for future programmes
16:00

Coffee Break & Networking
16:30 TBD

Deep Dive Session– Synthesis

Each group's rapporteur presents key outcome of the parallel Deep Dive Sessions. Moderators identify common patterns, cross domain priorities, opportunities for joint action, creating real and reusable outputs.
Closing
16:50

Concluding Remarks
Demo and Exhibition
17:00

Demo Session
End of Workshop
18:30

End of Workshop
19:00

Dinner

  • Restaurant: Braustübl am Darmstädter Hauptbahnhof.