Exclusive Content

Past Sample Attendee List

Over the past 4 years, the Smarter Border Management has welcomed attendees from key organisations including: Border Force, Europol, eu-LISA, WCO, Interpol and many others. This year, with global annual passenger numbers set to double by 2034 and freight volume doubling by 2030 it is clear that border agencies around the world must implement new technologies (such as biometric identification and large scale information systems) to counteract transnational crime. We are expecting around 100 attendees to this year's conference. The sample delegate list of past years will give a better understanding of who you can expect to meet at the event.

Download the sample delegate list now >>

Confirmed speakers for 2019  include:

  • John Gillan MBE, Programme Director, UK Home Office
  • Steve Reynolds, Head of International Operations, UK’s National Crime Agency 
  • Veikko Ikonen, Coordinator, Bodega Project 
  • Samy Gardemeister, Director of Enforcement, Finnish Customs
  • Medea Meier, Chief of Staff, Swiss Border Guard
  • Bart Vrancken, Head of the service eID, Belgium 
  • Captain van Doormaal, Head of API Targeting Centre, Royal Netherlands Marechausse
  • Jiri Celikovsky, Head of Schengen Cooperation, Czech Republic Ministry of Interior
  • Christian Piaget, Acting Head, Cargo Border Management and Claims, IATA

Past Sample Delegate List

Over the past 4 years, the Smarter Border Management has welcomed attendees from key organisations including: Border Force, Europol, eu-LISA, WCO, Interpol and many others. This year we are expecting around 100 attendees to this year's conference. The sample delegate list of past years will give a better understanding of who you can expect to meet at the event.

Download the sample delegate list now >>

Confirmed speakers for 2019  include:

  • John Gillan MBE, Programme Director, UK Home Office
  • Steve Reynolds, Head of International Operations, UK’s National Crime Agency 
  • Veikko Ikonen, Coordinator, Bodega Project 
  • Samy Gardemeister, Director of Enforcement, Finnish Customs
  • Medea Meier, Chief of Staff, Swiss Border Guard
  • Bart Vrancken, Head of the service eID, Belgium 
  • Captain van Doormaal, Head of API Targeting Centre, Royal Netherlands Marechausse
  • Jiri Celikovsky, Head of Schengen Cooperation, Czech Republic Ministry of Interior
  • Christian Piaget, Acting Head, Cargo Border Management and Claims, IATA

Smarter Border Management Business Development Pack 2019

Over the past 4 years, the Smarter Border Management has welcomed attendees from key organisations including: Border Force, Europol, eu-LISA, WCO, Interpol and many others. This year we are expecting around 100 attendees to this year's conference. Download the Business Development Pack to:

  • Gain an understanding of what the event is about
  • Learn more about past attendees such as Geo, Company Name and Job Title
  • Discover the various ways you can become involved

Download your copy now >>

Confirmed 2019 attendees include:

  • John Gillan MBE, Programme Director, UK Home Office
  • Steve Reynolds, Head of International Operations, UK’s National Crime Agency 
  • Veikko Ikonen, Coordinator, Bodega Project 
  • Samy Gardemeister, Director of Enforcement, Finnish Customs
  • Medea Meier, Chief of Staff, Swiss Border Guard
  • Bart Vrancken, Head of the service eID, Belgium 
  • Captain van Doormaal, Head of API Targeting Centre, Royal Netherlands Marechausse
  • Jiri Celikovsky, Head of Schengen Cooperation, Czech Republic Ministry of Interior
  • Christian Piaget, Acting Head, Cargo Border Management and Claims, IATA

Meeting the challenges of transnational and cyber crime

In the age of cross-border mobility, the rise in legitimate border crossings has coincided with an enormous growth in illegitimate transnational movement as millions of individuals seek entrance to more affluent countries. Ahead of Smarter Border Management 2017, Defence IQ spoke to Jari Liukku, Head of European Serious and Organised Crime Centre at Europol to address the ongoing migrant crisis and the challenges of tackling transnational organised crime in an age where criminals are able to exploit technology to their advantage.

Managing the evolving border management demands: Insight from IN GROUPE

The automated border control market growing to reach an expected US$ 1,577.7 million by 2023, highlighting the importance for border agencies to adopt cutting-edge technologies to manage the increasing flow of passengers each year. But what exactly is this demand evolving towards over the next few years?

Ahead of this year’s Smarter Border Management conference, we asked IN GROUPE, our main sponsor, to answer the following question: “How do you see the border management market demands evolving, and in what ways will your company be integral to its future?”

Download the interview on the right >>

Benefits of downloading the interview:

  • Get a better understanding of the evolving market demands of border management, that you will hear more on at this year’s Smarter Border Management 
  • Learn more about cutting-edge technological solutions that you will be able to discuss with IN GROUPE at this year’s Smarter Border Management
  • Gain insight on futuristic concepts such as OneID and Nextt 

In this interview IN GROUPE covers the following themes:

  • Automated Border Control Gates: need for equipment reliability, focus on support quality
  • Prices of equipment reaching have reached a low-level plateau for ABC Gates
  • Big push for new Proof of concept for OneID and Nextt projects all across the world
  • Problems from airport with Pphysical space challenge for airports: impact on pre-securityregistration kiosks market
  • Big push coming for land borders solutions using biometricBiometric recognition and automation: when land border copies air border
  • Regulation remains a brake to innovation
  • Biometrics New trend perception about facial recognitionperception on the mass travelers
  • The role of IN GROUPE in this future

IN GROUPE is the main sponsor of this year’s Smarter Border Management conference, where leading solutions in border management will be at the core of the discussions. To view the full agenda of the event, please click here


3 key challenges border agencies are addressing

While annual global international passenger numbers are set to double to 7.3 billion by 2034, freight volume is expected to double by 2030 and net migration to Western countries is projected to reach 98 million by 2050. This is stretching border agencies’ capacities, which are asked to process an ever-increasing flow of passengers and goods and often with constrained budgets. 

Ahead of Smarter Border Management 2019, Defence IQ delved into five key challenges that border agencies are currently addressing through technological solutions: Illicit cross-border trade and risk-based cargo screening technology, efficiency of cross-border travelling and the interoperability of systems.

Download the article on the right >>

Key benefits of downloading the article:

  • Learn more about the key technologies being put in place by agencies across the globe to tackle illicit trade, which will be discussed at this year’s Smarter Border Management 
  • Gain insight into the technology implemented by airports globally to better manage the flow of passengers, which will be addressed at Smarter Border Management
  • Learn how the EU is improving interoperability of systems through the implementation of legislative measures and the creation of technical components

Get a preview of the article below:

Border and port biometrics are put in place to help monitor and track the flow of people crossing borders. This includes technology such as ePassports, smart card systems and exit control systems. The global market for ePassports is due to grow to 21% CAGR by 2023 driven by the demand for increased security and biometrics at airports. More than 10% of this growth is due to come from the APAC region. The increased demand for biometrics at borders is a result of the growing market for fraudulent passports and the need for an increase in passenger security.

The US is currently trialing facial recognition across 18 airports with the hopes of expanding this to all US airports by 2021. However, the technology is not without its faults…


Maritime Border Security: Tackling Terrorism Through Collaboration

Rising transnational crime has heavily impacted the need to closely monitor maritime activity, meaning that in France more than 25% of the operational activity on navy vessels and aircraft is dedicated to marine safety and security. Ahead of the Smarter Borders Management Conference, Defence IQ sat down with Rear Admiral Patrick Augier, France’s Deputy Secretary General for the Sea to discuss his thoughts on French maritime border control priorities and terrorism prevention strategies at sea.

Border Management: Five key threats that need countering

Although the increasing use of technology by border agencies is helping them manage the increasing flow of international passengers (globally set to double to 7.3 billion a year by 2034), freight volume (projected to double by 2030) and migration to Western countries (estimated to reach 98 million by 2050), some gaps remain. Information sharing needs to be enhanced from a technological and cultural point of view, and the cyber threats that are emerging need to be addressed; these threat points are leveraged by criminal organisations, which smuggle drugs, firearms and people, costing the UK £37 billion per year

In this exclusive interview, Steve Reynolds, Head of Operations for Organised Immigration Crime and Border Threats, National Crime Agency, a key speaker of this year’s Smarter Border Management Conference, discusses the key five threats that border agencies are currently facing in the information age: Serious Organised Crime (SOC), Data sharing and exploitation, the exploitation of synergies between SOC threats and with CT, the implementation of new technology and the emerging cyber threats, Brexit and multinational border information sharing.

Download the infographic now >>

Key benefits of downloading the infographic:

  • Hear more on the need to implement new technologies in order to counter threats by the National Crime Agency, which will be present at Smarter Border Management 2019
  • Learn more about the top threats the UK is facing at its borders
  • Gain insights into the technological gaps leveraged by criminal organisations to conduct illegal activities

Read an exclusive preview of the piece below:

Serious organised crime at the border represents a minority that causes problems. The majority of people and goods that come across the border are law abiding, they follow the processes. The National Crime Agency is concentrating on a small group of people that want to exploit the border, the majority of the millions of people and goods that come across the border do so in a legitimate way. We do not want to be seen to be impeding their travel and their free movement, it’s a constant challenge.

The increasing volume of global trade and travel, together with the multiple forms of entry / exit points by land, air, sea and rail makes efficient and effective border control management challenging, especially when we also wish to maximise ease of movement, with minimal disruption to legitimate goods and passengers. 


Mr Reynolds will be discussing using technology to prevent and halt cross-border smuggling at this year’s Smarter Border Management. To see who will join him, please click here



Making borders smarter and safer: Current challenges and investment trends

It is becoming increasingly more difficult for border agencies to manage efficient and safe borders, as the international climate and the ever-growing passenger flow is putting extra strain on their decreasing budget. Cutting edge technology and infrastructure solutions are deemed crucial to address these challenges.

Ahead of this year’s Smarter Border Management conference, we surveyed experts from around the world ad across all types of sectors, including Government Agencies, Multi-National Organisations and Aviation. They share their insight on their plans to increase the efficiency and safety of their borders.

Download the survey results now >>

Download the survey results to:

  • Understand the respondents’ main priorities
  • What solutions they see as most fitting to achieve their objectives and in what timeframe they are looking to invest in them
  • The challenges that are currently impacting them the most

 In this survey, we ask the following questions:

  • What is your current main priority?
  • To address your current priorities, what solutions do you think have the most potential?
  • In what timeframe are you looking to invest in these solutions?
  • What is the challenge currently impacting you the most?

The following solutions are mentioned in this survey:

  • Data capture, analysis and exchange
  • Biometrics
  • Surveillance system
  • E-gates
  • X-ray gates

 The following challenges are mentioned:

  • Increased passenger movement i.e. tourism and business
  • In-territory terrorist threats
  • Brexit and the uncertainty of the freedom of movement
  • Processing migrant flows from war zones

The Smarter Border Management conference will delve into technological solutions, such as automated border control, biometric identification and large scale information systems, needed by border agencies to address the increasing passenger flow and the continued threat of terrorist activities within our borders. The conference will gather over 120 leaders in border security, policy makers, experts and stakeholders. You can view the full agenda by clicking on this link.