“Meet the People of Aptitude” introduces the experts and innovators working behind the Aptitude project, one of Europe’s large-scale pilots testing the European Digital Identity Wallet in real-life conditions.
In this interview, we meet Norbert Sagstetter, Head of eGovernment and Trust Unit at the European Commission. He oversees the EU’s support framework for Member States implementing the European Digital Identity Wallet. With a firm deadline of end 2026, his work sits at the heart of turning European digital identity policy into a lived reality for citizens across the continent.
How does Aptitude fit within the European strategy for digital identity?
“Aptitude is one of the two big pilot projects that we are funding at the moment. They are delivering the wallet on the ground, they test solutions, so we are very confident that they will be successful.”
How is the European Commission supporting Member States in turning this common vision into reality?
“We have a whole menu of support. We have a template wallet which is off the shelf, which Member States can take to implement at national level. We have certification support, we have support for use cases, so there is a whole range of different support structures that we have made at the disposal of Member States.”
Why is this launch a turning point for implementing the European Digital Identity Wallet?
“We have about 12 months until the delivery of the wallet on the ground. Member States will have to give the wallet to all citizens at the end of 2026, and these projects will help us to deliver.”
The Aptitude project brings together partners from 11 EU Member States and Ukraine to test the European Digital Identity Wallet in real-life scenarios such as travel, payments and digital services. The goal is to make digital identity secure, trusted and citizen-controlled, while ensuring services can work seamlessly across borders.
Learn more about the Aptitude Consortium: https://aptitude.digital-identity-wallet.eu/our-consortium/
