©Jess Breheret

Project CarMen

Brittany Ferries is a partner in the European CarMen Horizon Europe project, a research and innovation programme focused on developing the next generation of border control solutions.

Funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe framework, CarMen brings together 15 partners from 6 countries, including research institutions, border control authorities, innovative technology companies and transport operators.

The ambition of CarMen is to develop “biometrics on the move” technologies that enable border checks to be carried out without requiring travellers to stop, helping to reduce congestion and improve traffic flow.

These solutions are designed for a wide range of users, including:

• Foot passengers;
• Drivers and vehicle occupants;
• Coach passengers.

The project relies on innovative technologies such as a Digital Traveller Credential (DTC) stored on the traveller’s smartphone, combined with multimodal biometric authentication, allowing identities to be verified quickly and securely while minimising disruption to passenger flows.

Since 2024, Brittany Ferries has been involved as the project’s operational transport partner.The company contributes its expertise in port operations and passenger flow management to help assess and validate the solutions under realistic operating conditions.

Its involvement includes:

• Participating in testing and demonstration phases;
• Providing operational expertise and access to infrastructure;
• Contributing to discussions on ethical and societal considerations;
• Supporting the design of future passenger journeys.

Brittany Ferries is also committed to ensuring that all innovations developed within CarMen comply with the highest standards of data protection and privacy. No biometric data is collected, stored or processed by Brittany Ferries as part of the project.

Structured over three years, CarMen includes successive phases of design, development, technical integration, demonstration and evaluation.

Several operational testing campaigns are planned through 2027 to assess the performance, reliability and user acceptance of the technologies being developed.

For Brittany Ferries, CarMen represents a strategic opportunity to help shape the future of border management and contribute to the development of the port of the future — one that is safer, smarter and more efficient for travellers.

CarMen brings together a consortium of 15 partners from six European countries, including:

• 5 academic and research organisations; • 4 border control authorities and law enforcement agencies;
• 1 transport operator: Brittany Ferries;
• 3 innovative SMEs;
• 2 large industrial groups.

By combining expertise from across Europe, the project aims to develop solutions that address the technological, operational, regulatory and societal challenges of tomorrow’s border controls.