The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) awarded this week $189,863 to a London startup for efforts to improve the international passenger screening process.
The funds were pulled from the S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP), which offers up to $800,000 for companies to adapt commercial technologies for homeland security use. While it is focused on startups, this marks the first time an international company has gained such an award.
“S&T looks forward to seeing the ways iProov’s project could improve CBP’s ability to process remote border transits, as well as defend against passenger impersonation,” Anil John, S&T Identity Management R&D Program Manager, said.
The technology in question is called iProov. It utilizes biometric verification technology for the screening process. For the DHS part in this, the hope is that it could improve Customs and Border Protection (CBP) efforts, as CBP officers process more than one million international travelers daily.
iProov will be required to develop a proof of concept for a method that will allow travelers to cross remote border points of entry quickly, potentially allowing them to use personal devices to report entry and exit to the CBP. The DHS maintains this could streamline cross-border travel without sacrificing ID efforts, particularly at remote crossings.