On 2 July, as part of ‘UN Counter-Terrorism Week 2026’ at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Austria presented a technology for mobile biometric identification developed in Austria. The BioCapture technology, developed by the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology in collaboration with the Criminal Intelligence Service Austria (CIS) at the Federal Ministry of Interior (BMI), the software company T3K and the University of Salzburg, was co-funded as part of the national KIRAS security research programme and enables contactless fingerprint capture within a few seconds using standard smartphones, as well as secure matching against national and, in future, European Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS).
A ‘responsible-by-design’ approach was adopted in the development of this solution: data protection, information security, ease of use and compliance with the applicable legal framework were systematically taken into account right from the development stage. This solution, which is used in day-to-day police work in Austria, was presented at the event ‘Border Governance that Works: Advancing Security, Human Rights and Responsible Biometrics to Prevent Crime and Terrorism’ as an internationally recognised best practice for responsible and people-centred technology development in a sensitive area of application.
This side event was organised by the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI), in cooperation with the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL). The event was opened by Austria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, H.E. Ambassador Gregor W. Kößler; Mauro Miedico, Director of the UNCCT; Dr Barbra Lukunka, Senior Policy and Programme Officer at the IOM; and Andreas Holzer, Director of the Criminal Intelligence Service Austria (CIS). They emphasised the importance of international cooperation in ensuring that biometric technologies are used responsibly, within a clear framework based on the rule of law and human rights, to combat terrorism and cross-border crime.
High-level experts from the United Nations, the International Organisation for Migration, INTERPOL, the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) and the AIT then highlighted current challenges and international best practices for the responsible use of biometric technologies. The focus was on international standards, data protection, ‘privacy by design’ and the development of trustworthy digital identity solutions.
Innovation “Made in Austria” as an international role model
With the BioCapture mobile solution, now rolled out across Austria, the police are, for the first time, able to capture fingerprints contactlessly using a smartphone at the scene of an incident and automatically match them against national fingerprint databases within a very short time. This enables identities to be verified more quickly, multiple identities to be detected, and emergency services to be supported directly on the spot. Right from the development stage, data protection, information security and legal and ethical requirements were systematically taken into account in line with a ‘Responsible by Design’ approach. The biometric data is transmitted in encrypted form; no fingerprint data is stored on the smartphone. The technology supports identity verification within the framework of existing legal powers; decisions on further measures remain with the competent authorities.
The solution presented was developed by the AIT Center for Digital Safety & Security in collaboration with the BMI. At the heart of this innovation is state-of-the-art technology for the contactless capture of high-quality fingerprints using a smartphone camera. Within less than 30 seconds, four fingers from both hands can be captured and immediately used for biometric identity verification. The subsequent AFIS query is carried out automatically, in encrypted form and in compliance with national and European data protection regulations.
The solution was developed as part of the Austrian KIRAS security research programme, funded by the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF), and serves as an example of how security-related research in Austria – whilst systematically taking legal, ethical and societal requirements into account – makes its way from scientific development to operational police use. In future, the technology is set to be made available to all police officers across Austria as part of the BMI’s Mobile Police Communication (MPK) application.
From Austria to the United Nations
Helmut Leopold, Head of Center for Digital Safety & Security at AIT, presented the technical overview of the BioCapture solution during Counter-Terrorism Week. In his presentation, ‘Building and Deploying Ethical Technologies: From Principles to Practice’, he demonstrated that modern biometric systems can only build lasting trust if technological excellence is combined from the outset with data protection, transparency, human oversight and clear legal and ethical frameworks. The Austrian BioCapture technology was developed precisely in accordance with these principles and combines a high level of user-friendliness with a consistently human-centred and responsible development approach, which is why it was presented as an Austrian case study during UN Counter-Terrorism Week.
Helmut Leopold, Head of Center for Digital Safety & Security, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology: “Responsible technology does not emerge only when it is put into use, but right from the development stage. From the very beginning, our aim has been to consider ethical values – and thus safety, data protection and practical applicability – as an integrated whole. The fact that the United Nations has selected our solution to be presented as an Austrian best practice example underlines the international relevance of this human-centred development approach.”
Andreas Holzer, Director of the Criminal Intelligence Service Austria (CIS) at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, then presented the Austrian solution from a police perspective. Using a video demonstration, he showed how contactless fingerprint capture assists officers on the ground with identity verification and the significance this technology will have in future when used in conjunction with new European biometric identity systems. In doing so, the BMI and the AIT demonstrated how responsibly developed technologies can be successfully integrated into operational police work. The solution makes an important contribution to strengthening public safety in Austria and, at the same time, underlines Austria’s pioneering international role as a model of best practice for the responsible use of biometric technologies.
Andreas Holzer, Director of the Criminal Intelligence Service Austria: “Mobile contactless fingerprint capture is another important step towards modern and efficient police work. It enables our officers to establish identities quickly and reliably directly at the scene, and combines operational effectiveness with high standards of data protection and the rule of law. The presentation at the United Nations shows that Austria is also setting international standards with this development.”
The close and successful collaboration between the BMI and the AIT was further strengthened earlier this year through a Memorandum of Understanding. The aim is to integrate research expertise and the practical requirements of the security authorities even more closely, and to bring responsibly developed technologies into use more quickly.
Andreas Kugi, Scientific Director of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology: “BioCapture is a prime example of how applied research can be responsibly translated into security-critical applications. For the AIT, scientific excellence and compliance with legal, data protection and ethical requirements are inextricably linked from the very outset. The technology supports identity verification within the framework of existing legal powers; it neither replaces human decision-making nor alters the existing legal framework. The presentation at the United Nations demonstrates the international interest in this scientifically sound development approach.”
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