UBITECH proudly announces the launch of the new Horizon Europe-funded research and innovation project ORION (“Optimized Risk-based Intelligence-driven Operations for Next-generation Secure, Reliable and Privacy-preserving Border Management”), officially kicked off with a two-day meeting hosted by UBITECH on 21–22 October 2025 in Athens, Greece. The ORION project, funded under the Horizon Europe Programme (Grant Agreement No. 101225611), brings together a strong consortium of leading European research organizations, technology providers, and border management authorities. The project aims to revolutionize the way the European Union handles border security and customs operations by introducing advanced, risk-based, and intelligence-driven tools to ensure secure, efficient, and privacy-preserving border management.
ORION’s Vision and Impact
At its core, ORION aspires to transform the European approach to border management by introducing an intelligence-driven, risk-based operational framework that enhances both security and efficiency. The project will foster closer coordination between border, customs, and security authorities, enabling faster and more consistent decision-making across the European Union. By leveraging data-driven intelligence and dynamic resource allocation, ORION will optimize border checks to reduce waiting times and traveller inconvenience, while maintaining the highest possible security standards. Advanced analytical tools will strengthen the ability of border agencies to detect and respond to evolving threats, even in complex or high-pressure operational environments.
A key priority of ORION is to ensure seamless interoperability with existing databases, tools, and legacy systems used by different EU Member States, thereby promoting greater cohesion and information sharing across agencies. At the same time, the project places strong emphasis on sustainability, introducing innovative methods to improve energy efficiency and minimize the environmental footprint of border operations. Crucially, ORION is grounded in ethical and legal compliance, ensuring that every technological development adheres to European values and safeguards privacy, transparency, and fundamental rights. Through this holistic approach, ORION aims to deliver a next-generation framework for secure, reliable, and privacy-preserving border management across Europe.
As the Project Coordinator, UBITECH plays a central role in ensuring the smooth and successful execution of ORION. The company’s Project Management Office (PMO) (https://ubitech.eu/pmo/) oversees the overall coordination of the consortium and project management activities, including contractual, financial, and administrative tasks. UBITECH intends to support partners with day-to-day administrative requests and ensures effective monitoring of milestones, deliverables, and resources throughout the project lifecycle.
On the technical front, UBITECH’s Secure Systems & Trusted Computing (SST) Research Group leads the definition of the system’s technical specifications and architectural framework. This involves translating user-centric requirements and operational use cases into precise technical definitions, followed by the design of a scalable, interoperable architecture that integrates ORION’s diverse technological components seamlessly.
The ORION project is coordinated by Ms. Christina Stratigaki, Head of UBITECH’s Project Management Office, alongside Ms. Aslihan Kagnici, Research Projects Delivery & Fundraising Manager, who serves as the Project Coordinator on behalf of UBITECH.
Reflecting on the project’s launch, Ms. Christina Stratigaki highlighted UBITECH’s strategic commitment to fostering innovation in security and digital governance across Europe: “At UBITECH, we are deeply committed to advancing research that safeguards European citizens while facilitating seamless cross-border movement. ORION represents a major step forward in uniting intelligence, technology, and ethical principles to redefine how border management can operate in a digital, data-driven era. We are proud to coordinate this exceptional consortium and to contribute to Europe’s security and resilience objectives.”
Similarly, Ms. Aslihan Kagnici, who leads the day-to-day coordination of the project, emphasized ORION’s practical impact and collaborative spirit: “ORION brings together a diverse group of experts and practitioners working towards a shared vision of secure and sustainable borders. Our goal is to deliver a platform that not only strengthens operational capabilities and interoperability among EU Member States but also ensures that privacy, ethics, and user needs remain at the core of technological innovation. This project embodies the collaborative essence of European research at its best.”
Their leadership ensures that the project remains aligned with its strategic objectives, leveraging UBITECH’s extensive experience in managing large-scale European research initiatives in the fields of digital security, trusted computing, and AI-driven innovation.
For more information about ORION, visit the project page on CORDIS.
