IDunion
Showcase region: Cologne and Berlin
Private technology companies are of significant importance in the digital age. They process personal data and bear responsibility for its secure storage and controlled use. To give users sovereignty over their own data, IDunion is creating an open and secure ecosystem for digital identities. Thereby, the project adopted the self-sovereign identity (SSI) approach. The aim is to give users the option to decide when and with whom they want to share their data. In the next three years, IDunion will test specific use cases in the model regions Berlin and Cologne to integrate SSI technology into everyday life. In doing so, IDunion is focusing on a solution which can be used throughout Germany as well as across Europe.
Digital evidence self-sovereign in one wallet
Based on the concept of self-sovereign identity, a new type of identity management was developed by the IDunion consortium. Therefore, the users’ personal information is stored and administered autonomously in a special app, a wallet, on their smartphones. Unlike existing solutions, personal information is validated by public institutions. These digital credentials can therefore be used in everyday life in a legally secure manner.
If necessary, identity credentials (i.e., employment certificates, licenses, or educational certificates) can be presented to companies and other institutions. A special feature of this approach is the individual’s control over the usage and placement of their data.
In a data wallet, the specific personal information to be transferred to the other party is requested. Consequently, not all information of a certificate is shared. Only certain identity attributes, such as the name, date of birth or a reference number can be selected and transmitted individually. The transfer of data is performed for this specific purpose. This prevents the use of data for any other purpose. This user-centric approach makes it easier for citizens to access services while retaining full data control, and at the same time saves costs and administrative efforts on the part of companies. In addition, history of data transfers makes it possible to track who received the personal information, when, for what purpose and with what rights in a single application. Currently, the “Lissi wallet” and “esatus wallet” are used. However, the system is open for other providers. IDunion is a project of the Showcase programme secure digital identities that promotes approaches for new, open, interoperable, and easy-to-use ID ecosystems.
Consortium partners
neosfer GmbH, Technische Universität Berlin, Bundesdruckerei GmbH, esatus AG, Robert Bosch GmbH, Bank-Verlag GmbH, GS1 Germany GmbH, Deutsche Bahn AG, Institut für Internet-Sicherheit (if-is), Stadt Köln, ING Deutschland, Deutsche Telekom AG (Telekom Innovation Laboratories), Siemens AG, Spherity GmbH, yes IDP GmbH
Associated partners
51 Nodes GmbH, Bayerisches Landesamt für Steuern, Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH, Berliner Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Energie und Betriebe, Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, BWI GmbH, CodeCamp:N GmbH, Commerzbank AG, CompuGroup Medical Software GmbH, D-Trust GmbH, Danube Tech GmbH, Datarella GmbH, DATEV eG, Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Post AG, Deutscher Sparkassen- und Giroverband e.V., European EPC Competence Center GmbH, Energie Web Stiftung, Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Informationtechnik FIT, gematik GmbH, mgm technology partners GmbH, Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Innovation, Digitalisierung und Energie des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen, msg systems AG, regio iT gesellschaft für informationtechnologie mbh, Sopra Steria SE, targens GmbH, TrustCerts GmbH, Verein zur Förderung der selbstständigen Nutzung von Daten, Verband der Vereine Creditreform e.V., Swisscom AG
Contributors
Verimi GmbH, Idnow GmbH, GLEIF (Gloal Legal Entity Identifier Foundation), Merck KGAA, Landesministerium für digitales in Bayern, Switch, Deutsches Forschungsnetz, Landesbank Baden-Württemberg, Flick Gocke Schaumburg Rechtsanwälte Wirtschaftsprüfer Steuerberater Partnerschaft mbB, Fetch.ai.
Use Cases
Project website
Project duration
April 2021 - March 2024
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