#19 - Digital Identities: How a European Vision becomes Reality

Since 2014 the European eIDAS Regulation has been in force. It allows for safe and digital administrative and business processes and sets a framework for digital identity solutions in the European Union. Consequently, it is an important step towards a Digital Single Market. However, only a fraction of the population of the EU uses the already existing possibilities of digital identities.

The eIDAS Regulation is, therefore, to be revised this year, and the European Commission works intensively on a European ecosystem for digital identities. Meanwhile, the German Government intends to launch the ID card for smartphones this year and introduce a so-called Smart eID. Moreover, a broadly based pilot project tests a possible self-sovereign identity (SSI) ecosystem, and first applications such as the digital hotel check-in are already live on a test basis. The projects of the innovation competition "Showcase Secure Digital Identities" are also to demonstrate the advantages and possibilities of a digital identification function in cities and regions in practical everyday applications.

How do you get citizens to use these digital solutions? How can the different projects of the German Government be combined successfully? Which methods do other EU member states use and how can these be brought together in one ecosystem? How can the European solution compete with the digital identity solutions of tech companies such as Google, Apple and Facebook? We have discussed this and more with you and our speakers.

Lorena Boix Alonso
Director for Digital Society, Trust & Cybersecurity at DG CONNECT, European Commission

Dr. Markus Richter
State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community and Federal Government Commissioner for Information Technology; Member of the IT Planning Council

Isabel Skierka
“Secure Digital Identities” accompanying research, ESMT Berlin

Dr. Stefan Hofschen
CEO, Bundesdruckerei Gruppe GmbH

Moderiert wurde die Veranstaltung von Viola Heeger, Editor Background Digitalisierung & AI, Der Tagesspiegel