“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, Anne-Gaëlle Baudouin, Director at the French Authority for Secure Documents (ANTS) and the French Digital Identity Program, explains how the Aptitude project is moving from a test version to a real public service, building on previous European projects and focusing on everyday uses like travel and payments.
What’s the purpose of the Aptitude consortium, and how does it differ from previous European projects?
“Aptitude is not an isolated project — it is the continuation of Potential. We plan to build on the community and the successes of the Potential project to go further with concrete use cases, particularly around payments and travel. Aptitude’s goal is to move from what was a prototype to what will become a real public service for citizens, for businesses, and for people across society. It’s about taking things to the next level and bringing them fully into everyday life.”
What results do you expect at the end of the two-year project?
“In two years, our ambition is clear: to demonstrate that the European wallet is a reality in the daily lives of all European Union citizens, a way to prove one’s identity when crossing borders in a manner that is secure, sovereign and fully protective of privacy. It’s about making the European ambition of sovereignty real, protecting personal data, while making life simpler for everyone.”
What makes you the most proud of this project? And why is it important for France to take a leading role in it?
“What makes me most proud of the Aptitude project is that it’s built around a real community. It’s not just a technology project, nor something imposed from above or by the European Commission. It’s a genuine community driven from 11 EU Member States and Ukraine working together, people from different backgrounds: public administrations, associations, industry players, businesses, organisations of all kinds all learning, in very practical terms, to work together.
The fact that France, and the Ministry of the Interior in particular, is leading the effort is obviously very important. We naturally want to champion the ambitions of our industries as well, and embody this French vision of digital identity, a public service close to citizens, one that transforms daily life. That’s what makes it so inspiring.”
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.
