EU border biometrics contract for Entry/Exit System awarded to Idemia and Sopra Steria

A consortium of Idemia and Sopra Steria has been awarded a framework contract to deliver the new shared biometric matching system (sBMS), which is expected to soon be one of the largest in the world, to serve the identification needs of the new European Entry/Exit System.

The contract was awarded by the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), which plans to integrate a database of fingerprints and facial images from more than 400 million third-country nationals by 2022. The contract has a four-year duration, with optional extensions for up to six years.

The system is expected to help fight against irregular immigration and trans-border crime for the 26 European countries in the Schengen area.

In addition to the Entry/Exit System (EES), the Schengen Information System (SIS), the Visa Information System (VIS), Eurodac (European Asylum Dactyloscopy Database) and the future ECRIS-TCN (European Criminal Records Information System for Third Country Nationals) are all expected to be served by the sBMS.

Idemia and Sopra Steria have already supported the management of other mission-critical larage-scale IT systems in the EU, such as VIS, SIS and Eurodac, for more than 15 years.

“We thank eu-LISA for their renewed trust. As a contributor to the Smart Borders Initiative from the first discussions with the European Commission, IDEMIA is looking forward to shaping the outcome of this major project, based on our comprehensive understanding of the current European systems,” comments Idemia Executive Vice President of Public Security & Identity Philippe Barreau. Alongside our partners, we will bring best-in-class biometric technology and our full commitment to contribute to one of the most challenging large-scale biometric databases of the world in terms of accuracy and response time for a safer Europe.”

The biometric standards for the system were set just over a year ago.

“As European leader in digital transformation and Homeland Security, Sopra Steria is proud to extend its long-standing partnership with eu-LISA contributing to the implementation of an essential and central piece not only for the future Entry/Exit System but also for the other Core Business Systems. I am convinced that this consortium brings the best solution and service offer to accompany eu-LISA in the achievement of its challenges and to deliver the future shared biometric system with high value for its users.” Laurent Giovachini, Deputy CEO from Sopra Steria.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometric matching  |  biometrics  |  border management  |  Entry/Exit System (EES)  |  EU  |  eu-LISA  |  Eurodac  |  facial recognition  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  IDEMIA  |  Schengen Information System (SIS)  |  Sopra Steria