TReSPAsS-ETN

Biometrics recognition technology has revolutionised traditional person recognition technologies which rely on tokens or passwords. Whereas the latter can be lost, stolen, or easily forgotten, biometrics technology relies on biological and/or behavioral traits to infer identity. A soaring proliferation of cloud applications calls for enhanced security protection for distributed person authentication using biometrics; the new European general data protection regulation (GDPR) demands stringent provisions for privacy preservation. Unfortunately, concerns regarding security and privacy vulnerabilities, coupled with a lack of sufficient expertise to tackle them, present barriers to European competitiveness.

Europe needs a new community of biometrics researchers capable of innovating the next generation of biometrics technology designed to protect security and preserve privacy simultaneously. The TReSPAsS-ETN (TRaining in Secure and PrivAcy-preserving biometrics Early Training Network) project has delivered security protection through generalised PAD capabilities, deliver privacy preservation through computationally feasible encryption solutions and deploy these new technologies to commercial-grade systems in full compliance with the new European GDPR legislation.

The comprehensive TReSPAsS-ETN Marie Skłodowska-Curie Early Training Network coupled specific technical and transferable skills training including entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity, management and communications with secondments to industry. It produced a cohort of early stage researchers equipped with the necessary multidisciplinary skill set and capacity to innovate the next generation of secure and privacy preserving biometrics technologies.

Duration of the project

2020 - 2023

Awarded grant

3,727,389 euros (of which 531,239 euros for the UG), obtained from Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (Horizon 2020)

Contact persons at our Faculty

Prof. G.P. (Jeanne) Mifsud Bonnici
Mr. M. (Melania) Tudorica

Websites with additional information