Published March 31, 2026 | Version v1

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We are pleased to announce the publication of a new collaborative white paper titled “Cross-Border E-commerce to Consumers, Digital Product Passports (DPP), and the Role of Authorities.”

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🔗 Access the publication here: https://zenodo.org/records/19239073

This white paper has been developed jointly by three EU-funded projects: BORDERLINK, PARSEC, and CIRPASS-2, bringing together multidisciplinary expertise on customs, market surveillance, and digital product information systems.

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The publication addresses the rapidly growing challenge of cross-border e-commerce, where billions of low-value consignments enter the EU market each year, placing increasing pressure on authorities responsible for compliance monitoring and consumer protection. 

In this context, the white paper explores the potential of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) as a key enabler for improving transparency, supporting compliance verification, and enhancing cooperation between customs and market surveillance authorities.

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The document provides:

• A structured overview of cross-border e-commerce processes

• Insights into the roles and responsibilities of authorities

• An analysis of how DPPs can support compliance monitoring

• A set of open questions to guide future policy and implementation

 

By combining perspectives from multiple projects and domains, this joint effort aims to establish a common understanding and stimulate further discussion on the future of digital tools in cross-border trade and product compliance.

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This publication marks an important step towards fostering collaboration and innovation in addressing the challenges of modern e-commerce and regulatory enforcement.

BORDERLINK participated in the 2026 WCO Technology Conference & Exhibition in Abu Dhabi, together with consortium partners including INTA, the University of Nottingham, and Rapiscan Systems.

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As one of the flagship global events in the customs and border management community, the conference brought together over 1,500 participants from more than 100 countries, offering a dynamic environment to explore emerging technologies and operational challenges.

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During the event, BORDERLINK was showcased at INTA’s booth, where discussions focused on how the project’s innovations—particularly in X-ray image analysis, training, and standardisation—can contribute to strengthening operational capabilities at borders. The presence at the exhibition also provided an opportunity to present the project’s broader innovation portfolio and ongoing progress to a wide range of stakeholders.

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The conference highlighted the growing role of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence in customs operations, while also reinforcing the importance of human expertise in interpreting data and making informed decisions. In this context, BORDERLINK’s work on training, certification, and performance-based approaches attracted particular interest from customs authorities and practitioners.

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Engagements during the event included exchanges with representatives from international organisations and policy bodies, as well as discussions with technology providers and border authorities. These interactions supported the promotion of BORDERLINK’s objectives and opened new opportunities for collaboration, including invitations to join the project’s Stakeholder Forum.

Overall, participation in the conference strengthened BORDERLINK’s visibility within the global customs community and contributed to positioning the project at the intersection of technological innovation and operational practice in border management.

Manchester 26 & 27 November 2025

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The BORDERLINK Project participated at the ODYSSEUS Project Final Demo and Event and was represented by the BORDERLINK Coordinator Frank Janssens.

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Day 1 Final Demo

On 26 November 2025 the final demo took place at the Rapiscan Research and production site in Stoke-on-Trent, UK. ODYSSEUS Partners showed the participants four different demos illustrating the research results of the projects. 

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Demo 1 Carview pilot activities: Inspection using the new ‘Carview’ technology and presentation of the technology deployed on Rapiscan's Carview system developed as part of the project. Key Performer Indicators were the execution of tests as a pilot activity which involved the retesting as well of previously failed KPI's. The tests gave the opportunity for participants to learn how to use Rapiscan's Cargo-inspect Software to analysis images. Main achievement was the use of an improved backscatter installation which has reception panels on the side, enabling full scan of passenger vehicles for hidden threats (weapons, explosives and narcotics). Backscatter technology is harmless for passenger in the cars (dose lower than a transatlantic flight where cosmic rays are received).

 

Demo 2 Test facility tour and review of train pilot images: A guided tour of the X-ray Imaging Laboratory was provided, which presented the state-of-the-art facility design for subsystem and system level testing of X-ray imaging hardware. The tour included an overview of the process Rapiscan uses to capture x-ray images of threats for that are then inserted into stream of X-Ray images to create data sets for the development of InSight algorithms. Please note that the BORDERLINK Project will build on this knowledge for one of its Innovation Activities.

 

Demo 3 Insight demonstration: A presentation of the InSight software suite to showcase threat detection capabilities across various detection systems, followed by a people counting algorithm demonstration using interesting stream of cases. One of these cases is the quick scanning possibility of passenger cars and vans to count the number of passengers. This helps to compare the scan results with the number of passports presented at a border crossing.

 

Demo 4 Factory tour: A tour of the Rapiscan site at Stoke to give an understanding of cargo and vehicle inspection production, their main components, how they are brought together, and commissioned ready for the customer. This included a tour of the detector array lab, the P60/G60 inventory area, the M60 construction area, and the commissioning yard. The main interesting feature was the visit of the assembly of fully equipped mobile scanning devices mounted on a truck capable of using 3 detection technologies: backscatter for a quick control, X-Ray drive-through (driver can stay in the truck as X-Ray doses remains low at Cabin level) and X-Ray Gantry Detection technologies (detection truck moves alongside the scanned truck and tailer).

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Day 2 Final Event

The final event took place at ‘The Bridgewater Hall’, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, UK where all ODYSSEUS Partners were present as well as attendants from similar Horizon Europe Projects.

Opening Session - Welcome and introductory speech: introduction to the ODYSSEUS project and its journey towards developing innovative, unobtrusive technologies for secure border management.

ODYSSEUS Platform Showcase: From Concept to Demonstration, which contained  a live or video demonstration of the ODYSSEUS platform, highlighting how integrated technologies improve border surveillance and traveller facilitation.

End-User Perspectives: Field Experience & Insights where end users shared their real-life experiences and feedback from pilot deployments, emphasizing lessons from operational environments.

Key Lessons Learned Throughout ODYSSEUS Project, where key insights and takeaways gathered throughout the development and testing of the ODYSSEUS solutions, were presented.

Policy Recommendations & Strategic Outlook. Panel of policy-level conclusions were held where recommendations derived from the project outcomes, supporting future border management strategies, were presented.

Synergies with Sister Projects: Representatives of the SAUS, ORBIS, PARSEC and BORDERLINK Projects made a presentation on their projects highlighting similarities and synergies between the ODYSSEUS and projects presented.

Ethics, Legal & Societal Perspectives in ODYSSEUS: A presentation exploring the ethical and societal dimensions of border security technologies and the lessons learned during the project lifecycle.

 

Conclusion

It was a truly successful demo and event organised by the ODYSSEUS Project which was most interesting. It not only offers opportunities for future cooperation with the project partners, but also showcased the technical progress made during the project lifecycle in terms of detection technology applied on transport means at border crossings. Especially important is the use of low dose X-Rays where passengers and rivers can say on board of the cars and trucks as well as the important progress with mobile scanners offering a range of technologies all on board the same truck (manufacturing adaptable to user needs).

You will find more detailed information on the project video on the ODYSSEUS YouTube channel (link) and Posts on LinkedIn (link) and Twitter (X) (link)

Warsaw, 20–21 June

2025

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BORDERLINK was featured at this high-level EU event to connect with the broader security and customs innovation community. We shared a

booth with the PARSEC project, highlighting synergies in border

security technologies and stakeholder engagement.

The BORDERLINK project, a new Horizon Europe research and innovation action, has oficially launched with the ambition to

strengthen tactical-level interoperability across European customs

administrations and border agencies.

Coordinated by CBRA Services (Belgium), BORDERLINK brings together 18 partners from 10 countries, including customs authorities, research institutions, and leading technology providers. The project will run for 36 months and is funded under the HORIZON-CL3-2023- BM-01-04 call on border management.

At its core, BORDERLINK aims to develop, test, and validate ten breakthrough innovations that address operational challenges in customs enforcement — from data sharing and risk management to X-ray screening, material identification, and the handling of seized goods.

Over the coming months, the project will focus on gathering user requirements from customs officers, designing technical solutions, and launching  the BORDERLINK Stakeholder Forum (BOSF) to engage with external actors.