Access management at scale: How KU Leuven efficiently manages 200,000 users with Synguard

200,000 users, thousands of doors, and one system that has to manage it all, how do you keep that under control? For organizations like KU Leuven, this is not a theoretical question but a daily reality. With thousands of doors, complex user profiles, and multiple institutions within one ecosystem, a scalable and flexible system is essential: one that grows with the organization.

Together with Synguard, KU Leuven has built such a system over the past years. Today, it forms the backbone of their access control across dozens of campuses.

An ecosystem of 200,000 users

“Access control at this scale requires more than a standard solution.”

KU Leuven is much more than a university. Together with UZ Leuven and several associated partners such as LUCA, UCLL, Odisee, Vives and Thomas More, it forms a broad network of educational and research institutions.

This results in impressive figures:

More than 200,000 badge holders
Thousands of staff members and students
Hundreds of buildings and campuses

All these users rely daily on one integrated system for access to buildings, parking areas, labs, and other facilities.

“We are talking about applications that go beyond individual buildings,” says Johan Ghesquière, responsible for infrastructure and technical services at KU Leuven. “Student cards, staff cards, everything must work together, and on a large scale.”

Moving Toward Flexible and Scalable Access Control

This scale also brought challenges. The previous system lacked flexibility and could not easily grow with the organization.

“In 2012, KU Leuven and UZLeuven had around 750 card readers,” Johan explains. “That was already quite a lot, so changing systems was not easy. But we were not satisfied with the flexibility, so we had to move forward.”

KU Leuven launched a European tender with around 30 providers. In the end, Synguard, then still a small player, was selected.

“We were looking for a long-term partner. Synguard was a small company at the time, but we trusted their vision and the way they brought their product to the market,” says Johan.

A platform that grows with the organization

“From 750 to 4,000 doors without added complexity.”

What started with a few hundred readers has grown into a large-scale system that now manages more than 4,000 doors, with plans to expand to 5,000 card readers.

Flexibility and automation are central to this approach. The system automatically determines who gets access to which spaces, based on smart parameters.

“The unique aspect is that access rights are assigned based on personal attributes,” explains Peter Surleraux, applications manager within KU Leuven’s technical services. “Think of your role, your field of study, or other characteristics. This happens fully automatically. Where needed, managers can also assign access rights themselves.”

The system also provides insights into usage and occupation, delivering valuable data for areas such as building management.

Not traditional security, but smart access control

Remarkably, KU Leuven does not see this as a traditional security system. The focus is on access management and guiding user flows.

“We don’t approach this as a security system,” says Peter. “It’s more of a barrier. It should guide and direct people, not strictly lock everything down.”

This results in a thoughtful approach:

No access control at individual office level
Control at building, zone, and critical area level
Specific applications for libraries and labs
Operation of specific research equipment

For parking areas, flexibility is key. “We sometimes give more people access than there are spaces,” Peter explains. “Because you know not everyone is there at the same time. The system should reflect reality.”

Customization and integration as key factors

One of the decisive factors in choosing Synguard was the ability to customize and integrate.

“A lot of customization has been done,” says Johan. “Even firmware was adjusted to perfectly match our needs. And importantly: they actually deliver.”

Synguard also offers an open platform that integrates with other systems. “For us, integration is crucial,” adds Peter. “We connect with ticketing systems, payment systems, and license plate recognition. The APIs are flexible and adapt to our needs.”

KU Leuven as an active partner

“What is standard today, we built together.”

What makes this collaboration unique is KU Leuven’s active role.

“We take on the role of integrator for our own installation. We work directly with Synguard, without an installer in between,” says Johan.

In addition, KU Leuven uses an unlimited licensing model, which makes scaling easier.

But the collaboration goes even further. “We often test new versions of the software,” Johan explains. “If we find issues, they are fixed. Many features that Synguard developed for us since 2012 are now standard in the product.”

Ease of use and reliability in practice

“Simple for users, robust behind the scenes.”

Besides scale and flexibility, ease of use is also essential. “New colleagues quickly get the hang of it,” says Peter. “The software is logically structured and intuitive.”

The system also performs strongly in terms of reliability. Even in case of technical issues, access remains possible. “Access rights are stored locally in the card readers,” Peter explains. “So even if something goes wrong with synchronization, people can still enter.”

A partnership that continues to grow

The collaboration between KU Leuven and Synguard has been ongoing for 14 years and will soon be renewed for the long term. What started as a partnership with a small company has grown into a strategic collaboration where both parties continue to develop together.

“We truly grew together,” Peter concludes. “It’s a shared story.”

Ready for Access Control at scale?

The KU Leuven case shows how complex access control can become—and how important it is to choose a flexible, scalable, and future-proof system.

Synguard helps organizations gain control over their access flows without compromising ease of use or flexibility. From universities and hospitals to campuses and companies: wherever complexity increases, Synguard makes a difference.

Want to discover how your organization can manage access more intelligently?

Get in touch and find out what Synguard can do for you.