How and where digitalisation creates measurable added value

Educational institutions in Europe, the Middle East and beyond face a challenging balancing act. Schools, colleges and universities must modernise their security standards without restricting their necessary openness. Protecting people, property and sensitive data is just as much a part of their duty of care as ensuring freedom of movement for teachers, students, staff and visitors. At the same time, budgets are limited, while expectations of comfort and user-friendliness are rising. Modern access management must combine security, efficiency and cost-effectiveness – and, when implemented correctly, can improve the entire educational process in the long term.

Complex user structures require flexible solutions

An educational campus brings together a wide variety of user groups with varying access requirements and constantly changing schedules. Teachers, students, administrative staff, external service providers and guests use the same buildings at different times of the day and night. Where mechanical locking systems are still in use – often across large areas – the administrative effort involved is considerable. Lost or uncontrolled key copying poses a significant security risk and often leads to costly lock replacement. Manually maintaining access rights for hundreds or thousands of people is inefficient and prone to errors. In addition, outdated systems make it difficult to maintain a transparent overview of who is currently on the premises or to respond quickly in an emergency, such as when access needs to be restricted. Facility and security managers are therefore increasingly looking for intelligent access solutions that enable real-time transparency, centralised control and reduced maintenance. At the same time, an increasingly digitally savvy user group – especially students – expects convenient, digital solutions, such as mobile access authorisations on their own smartphones.

Physical and digital risks are converging

Current figures underscore the urgency of a more networked security strategy. Universities are considered particularly vulnerable to cyber attacks; in the United Kingdom alone, estimates suggest that millions of compromised access credentials are circulating on the dark web. This development highlights the increasing convergence of physical and digital risks. If a single compromised user account allows access to both buildings and internal networks, an institution’s operations, reputation and research integrity are equally threatened.
Digital, physical access solutions with instantly revocable, customisable and traceable authorisations close this security gap. Mobile digital identities, which can be centrally managed and deactivated in seconds if necessary, are increasingly seen as a fundamental building block of modern educational infrastructure.

Digitalisation as a strategic solution

The digitalisation of access management offers a clear way forward. ASSA ABLOY has extensive experience in digitally securing educational properties and supports institutions in creating secure, flexible and user-friendly environments. The portfolio ranges from perimeter protection and intelligent building solutions to electronic security for sensitive areas such as server rooms. The systems can be integrated with almost any common access management software and can be operated locally, cloud-based or as software-as-a-service.2mm

For security and facility managers, programmable locks and digital identities mean a significant gain in efficiency. Lost cards or mobile authorisations can be blocked immediately without having to replace mechanical components. Access rights can be assigned, adjusted or revoked regardless of location – always documented by complete logging. At the same time, flexibility increases: digital authorisations can be configured on a time- and area-specific basis, for example for evening events, exam periods or external rentals, without losing track of the big picture.
For teachers and learners, in turn, the combination of convenience and security increases acceptance of the systems and creates trust in a protected learning environment.

Regulation as a driver of digitalisation

Digital transformation is also supported by regulation. The EN/IEC 60839 standard defines functional and interoperable requirements for electronic access systems, while EN 179 and EN 1125 ensure safe escape routes. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regulates the transparent handling of personal and access data, supplemented by national requirements for the use of biometric procedures.
In addition, the EU’s NIS2 Directive explicitly requires numerous research institutions for the first time to holistically strengthen physical and digital security measures. Violations are subject to severe penalties – a further incentive to modernise existing access infrastructures.

The market is growing accordingly: The European market for security solutions in schools and campuses was estimated at around €920 million in 2025 and continues to show dynamic growth, driven by modernisation and digitisation projects.

Practical examples: Focus on securityand flexibility

The Camp innovation campus near Aix-en-Provence needed an access system that could map changing user flows around the clock. With wireless Aperio® components and a central platform, all access points across the campus are controlled. Authorisations can be adjusted in real time, lost ID cards can be deactivated immediately and sensitive areas can be specifically protected – while keeping energy consumption low and preserving the architectural design.

Efficient key management through digitalisation

At Vejle Friskole in Denmark, the administration of mechanical keys took up several hours of work each week. With the SMARTair® system, individual digital authorisations were introduced.

Lost keys are a thing of the past; changes can be made at the click of a mouse. The administrative workload has been significantly reduced, while the buildings can be used more flexibly.

Cost and risk reduction in municipal facilities

In Villiers-le-Bel, France, lost keys regularly incurred high costs. The switch to CLIQ® cylinders and programmable keys now allows lost authorisations to be blocked immediately and centrally controlled via a web browser. The solution reduces costs, increases security and is scalable at the same time.

The intelligent, secure campus

The digital transformation in education is progressing rapidly – not only in teaching, but also in building management. Increasing regulatory requirements, new threat scenarios and the desire for more efficient processes are driving change.

Hybrid cyber and physical risks in particular make modern access management indispensable. According to estimates, more than 40 percent of British universities are exposed to attacks on a weekly basis – mobile, digitally managed authorisations offer an effective protection mechanism here.

Whether in primary schools or international university campuses, wireless, intelligent access solutions enable cost-ef- fective, secure and future-proof control of all access points. They not only support compliance and risk minimisation, but also trust, openness and flexibility – key prerequisites for the educational mission.

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