BIOVISION — Recent Results of an Exciting European Roadmap Project

Abstract

In preparation for the 6^th Framework of support for R&D in key technologies, the European Commission has asked for the compilation of roadmaps to identify the critical challenges in key technologies. Biometrics has been identified as one such critical technology. Biometric methods offer a very wide range of opportunities, some of which have been trialed in limited applications. The BIOVISION project (full name: BIOVISION — Roadmap to successful deployments from the user and system integrator perspective) commenced on 1 June 2002 and finished on 31 July 2003. In order to join many facets of applications and services using biometric technologies to a whole the project group considered aspects of system integration and standardisation, legal and regulatory issues, security and testing, medical and safety dimensions as well as end user perspectives of the biometrics sector in Europe.

During their work the project group has examined three specific application areas: a long (2006–10) and nearer (2003–5) term perspective. The focus of interest has been the use of biometrics for physical access control, their application in travel and identity documents, and the potential for their use by financial institutions. Other sectors like health care and home security have been considered. The resulting prioritised research agenda offers the biometrics community in Europe pointers to a successful deployment at both national and cross-national levels.

The final element of the BIOVISION project was the launch of the European Biometrie Forum, a body that would act to address the issues that had been identified in the work of the partnership and act as a focus for future activities to reduce the fragmentation of the community involved in biometrics in Europe.

The BIOVISION consortium is listed in Annex 1. Kindly note that this paper could present only a subset of the whole work. The most recent public version of the roadmap [BVN] will be available at http://www.eubiometricforum.com together with further public documents.