AutoBorder launches: Exploration of a New Vision for Smarter, Human-Centric Borders

AutoBorder, a new Horizon Europe research and innovation project, has officially launched its activities to examine whether “drive-through” border checks (identity verification without stopping) could be feasible, safe, and rights-respecting in European contexts.

As traveller volumes rise and border authorities face increasing operational pressure, Europe is seeking new ways to maintain security while reducing bottlenecks at its busiest crossings. AutoBorder does not aim to deploy new systems, but to explore technically, ethically, and legally whether biometrics-on-the-move technologies could help address these challenges.

AutoBorder will prototype and test technical solutions and processes such as in-vehicle biometric identification, digital travel credentials, and advanced risk-assessment tools. These will be assessed not only for technical performance, but for their impact on privacy, data protection, inclusiveness, and human rights.

Researchers will evaluate the limits of biometric sensing in moving vehicles, the implications of processing traveller data in new ways, and how such systems can be transparent, secure and trustworthy enough for real-world use.

Pilot activities will take place at the France-UK and at the Romania-Moldova borders, allowing the research team to analyse how these technologies behave in varied operational settings. All testing will be performed under strict ethical and legal oversight, with continuous engagement of border authorities and citizens.

AutoBorder will run until 2028 and will deliver guidance, lessons learned, and research evidence to policymakers and practitioners. The project will provide critical knowledge to inform future decisions on what place biometrics-on-the-move has in Europe’s border management strategies.