The Aptitude consortium, bringing together 117 public and private partners across 11 EU Member States – France (project coordinator), Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Hungary – as well as Ukraine, proudly announces the launch of its Large-Scale Pilot (LSP) project, selected by the European Commission to advance digital identity solutions across Europe. Led by the Ministère de Intérieur of France, Aptitude (Advanced Project for Trusted Identity Technologies and Unified Digital Ecosystem) builds on the insights of previous LSPs – NOBID, DC4EU, POTENTIAL, and EWC, marking a key step toward aligning the European Union with the ambitions of the Digital Decade.
The Kick-Off Meeting of the Aptitude project took place on 22–23 October 2025 in Paris, marking the official launch of a landmark European collaboration for the development of the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW). The two-day event brought together over 300 participants to explore the project’s strategy through a rich agenda featuring eight key presentations, eight pilot use case workshops and live demonstrations, a Steering Committee meeting, and multiple networking sessions, partners aligned on the project’s roadmap and next steps. The discussions reflected a strong spirit of cooperation, innovation, and shared purpose, setting a solid foundation for the project’s successful implementation across Europe.
The Aptitude project seeks to make citizens’ everyday lives easier, safer, and faster by enabling a single digital identity for multiple applications. Through real-life pilot use cases — Digital Travel Credentials, Ticketing & Check–in, Mobile Vehicle Registration Certificate, and Payments & Banking — the project will test the European Digital Identity Framework in key areas such as travel, transportation and financial services.
Citizens will be able to travel and check in using digital credentials instead of physical documents, make secure electronic and physical payments with strong authentication, and seamlessly access services such as banking, vehicle registration, and transport, all while maintaining full control over their personal data. A central pillar of the project is ensuring that the Digital Identity Wallet remains human-centric, secure, interoperable, and fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), giving citizens full control over their personal data and ensuring the highest privacy and security standards.
The Aptitude project runs for 24 months (October 2025 – September 2027) and is co-funded by the European Commission under the Digital Europe Programme, which supports the development and implementation of the European Digital Identity Wallet. The project receives 50% funding from the EU and 50% national co-funding from the Ministry of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence.
Through close collaboration among Member States, public institutions, and private organizations, Aptitude will pave the way for a secure, user-friendly, and widely accepted European Digital Identity, enhancing citizens’ trust in digital public services.
