The University of Antwerp is coordinating a Europe-wide project to develop a high-tech device that makes drug detection more efficient. The project involves 15 additional international partners, including Izertis.

Europe will invest €5.5 million in the BorderSens project, which aims to develop new technology to significantly improve drug detection. Currently, police officers and customs officials still rely on colorimetric tests based on chemical reactions, which have certain limitations. In fact, the accuracy of cocaine tests is only 70%. “Several substances exhibit the same colour change as cocaine, which often leads to false positives after costly laboratory verification,” explains the project coordinator.

A system based on small electrical impulses

For the project to succeed, it is crucial that the detection and identification of illegal substances be carried out efficiently. BorderSens aims to develop technology capable of detecting a wide range of narcotics and adulterants using electrochemical sensors. This will build on the NarcoReader device developed by the University of Antwerp.

“This innovative device, the NarcoReader, uses an electrode to send a small electrical impulse through the sample. Test results are displayed in just 40 seconds,” notes the coordinator. “With NarcoReader, the high number of false positives and negatives will be a thing of the past.”

Izertis will lead the communication and dissemination of project results

In addition to participating in several technical work packages related to device development, Izertis will lead the communication and dissemination of the BorderSens project results.

Following several successful large-scale laboratory tests for cocaine detection, the device will now begin field trials in European Union countries.

The BorderSens project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement No. 833787.