Result description
The TENSOR Biometrics Data Space enables secure, privacy-preserving cross-border biometric searches between law enforcement and forensic authorities. The result is a federated data-sharing framework that allows participating entities to query distributed and encrypted biometric repositories without transferring or centralising raw data. The Biometrics Data Space uses advanced encryption, access controls, and usage policies to ensure data sovereignty, auditability, and compliance with the GDPR and other European legal frameworks. The solution supports multiple biometric modalities and is designed to interoperate with existing national systems while respecting jurisdictional constraints. By enabling controlled cross-border collaboration, Biometric Dataspace addresses a critical operational gap in joint investigations, allowing authorities to identify links and matches that would otherwise remain inaccessible.
Addressing target audiences and expressing needs
- To raise awareness and possibly influence policy
- Help in technical expertise
We seek engagement with Law Enforcement Authorities, public sector organisations, RTOs, and universities, including through EU-funded research and innovation initiatives, to support further validation, extension, and consolidation of the open-source Biometrics Data Space beyond its current TRL 6-7. We are looking for additional pilots, real-world datasets, and collaborative developments to strengthen robustness, interoperability, cross-border applicability, and alignment with EU data space and regulatory frameworks.
- EU and Member State Policy-makers
- Research and Technology Organisations
- Academia/ Universities
R&D, Technology and Innovation aspects
The TENSOR Biometrics Data Space is at a mid-maturity stage, validated as a concept, with limited operational testing. The next steps focus on technical hardening, as well as multi-authority validation. The code will be released as open source, and no commercial exploitation or business plan is foreseen; public authorities and research initiatives will drive further extension and adoption.
The solution is based on a standardised, modular architecture that can be deployed by different authorities using the same open-source codebase, interfaces, and security mechanisms. Core components such as encrypted query handling, access control, and audit logging are designed to operate identically across deployments (on sufficient hardware resources), ensuring consistent behaviour and compliance. Because data remains under local control and only the connector components are deployed, new participants can replicate the same setup without changing the core logic. This enables the Biometrics Data Space to be reliably replicated across multiple countries or agencies to the same technical and legal standards, supporting scalable adoption across different operational contexts.
TENSOR Biometrics Data Space’s sustainability lies in creating public value rather than generating revenue. It delivers societal and institutional value by enabling lawful, privacy-preserving cross-border biometric cooperation, directly supporting public security, fundamental rights, and European digital sovereignty. The value proposition benefits multiple stakeholders simultaneously: law enforcement gains operational capability, citizens benefit from stronger data protection, and public authorities retain control over sensitive data. Value creation and delivery are ensured through an open, federated architecture and open-source code, allowing public bodies to adopt, adapt, and maintain the solution without vendor lock-in. Economic sustainability is achieved by avoiding licensing costs and instead relying on shared maintenance, public funding, and integration into existing public infrastructure and EU data space initiatives.
- Europe
