eSSIF-Lab · Project

Ready-to-Use Digital Identity Tools That Let Customers Prove Who They Are Without Passwords

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Imagine if instead of juggling dozens of logins, passwords, and identity checks, your customers could carry a secure digital wallet — like a passport on their phone — that instantly proves who they are. eSSIF-Lab funded up to 65 small companies across Europe to build the pieces of this puzzle: tools that let people and businesses verify identities without a central database that can be hacked. Think of it like giving everyone their own notarized ID card that works everywhere, without needing a middleman. The project created a shared technical infrastructure so all these identity tools actually work together across borders.

By the numbers

Up to 65

subgrants awarded to companies building SSI solutions

EUR 6,998,525

total EU funding invested

Up to 42

subgrants for SSI business and social innovation applications

Up to 23

subgrants for technical enhancements of the SSI infrastructure

6 partners, 5 countries

core consortium spanning Europe

total project deliverables produced

3 phases

of subgrantee SSI component development completed

The business problem

What needed solving

Every business today wastes time and money on identity verification — checking who customers, suppliers, and partners really are. Current systems rely on centralized databases (hackable), paper documents (slow), and dozens of separate logins (frustrating). European companies lose billions annually on administrative costs tied to identity checks, compliance paperwork, and fraud prevention.

The solution

What was built

The project funded up to 65 companies to build interoperable self-sovereign identity components across 3 development phases, plus a continuous integration system for combining these components. A total of 21 deliverables were produced, including 4 demonstrated SSI component packages and shared technical infrastructure.

Audience

Who needs this

Digital banks and fintechs struggling with slow, expensive KYC onboarding processesHospital networks managing patient identity across multiple facilities and countriesInsurance companies verifying policyholder and claimant identitiesE-commerce platforms needing age or credential verification without storing personal dataGovernment agencies digitizing citizen services and cross-border document recognition

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Banking & Financial Services

any

Target: Digital banks and fintech companies doing customer onboarding

If you are a fintech company spending days on KYC (Know Your Customer) checks for every new account — eSSIF-Lab funded up to 65 companies that built self-sovereign identity components letting customers verify themselves instantly. Instead of collecting, storing, and protecting piles of personal documents, customers present verified digital credentials from their own wallet. This could cut onboarding from days to minutes while reducing your data breach liability.

Healthcare

enterprise

Target: Hospital networks and health insurance providers managing patient identity

If you are a hospital network struggling with patient identity verification across facilities and cross-border care — eSSIF-Lab produced tested SSI components across 3 development phases that enable patients to carry verified health credentials. Patients prove their identity and insurance status instantly at any point of care without faxing documents. The continuous integration infrastructure ensures these components work together reliably.

Supply Chain & Logistics

mid-size

Target: Logistics companies verifying supplier credentials and certifications

If you are a logistics company spending weeks verifying supplier certifications, driver licenses, and customs documents — eSSIF-Lab's 21 deliverables include interoperable identity components that let trading partners present verified digital credentials on demand. Instead of calling references and checking paper certificates, you get cryptographically verified proof in seconds. The project specifically targeted business-to-business transaction automation.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement SSI technology from this project?

The project itself received EUR 6,998,525 in EU funding and distributed subgrants to up to 65 companies building SSI components. Many of these components are open-source (the project included continuous integration of open-source software). Implementation costs would depend on which subgrantee's solution fits your use case — contact the coordinator for specific pricing from the subgrantee network.

Can this scale to handle millions of identity verifications?

The project built a system for continuous integration of SSI components (delivered at month 12) specifically to ensure technical scalability. Three phases of subgrantee development produced progressively more mature SSI components. The objective explicitly states solving the problem that existing SSI solutions 'do not scale at every level — technical, process, information, and business.'

Who owns the intellectual property and how is it licensed?

eSSIF-Lab operated through cascade funding — up to 65 subgrantees developed their own SSI components. IP ownership typically stays with each subgrantee company. The project emphasized open-source software and continuous integration, suggesting many components are available under open-source licenses. Specific licensing terms vary by subgrantee.

Does this comply with EU digital identity regulations like eIDAS?

The project was funded under ICT-24-2018-2019 specifically for 'strengthening internet trustworthiness with electronic identities,' aligning directly with EU digital identity policy. Based on available project data, the European Self-Sovereign Identity approach was designed to complement existing eIDAS infrastructure. The project coordinator TNO is a leading European research organization with deep regulatory expertise.

How long would integration take?

The project ran from November 2019 to December 2022 (over 3 years) and produced SSI components across 3 development phases. A continuous integration system was delivered at month 12, suggesting mature deployment tooling. Based on available project data, integration timelines would depend on your existing identity infrastructure and which of the 65 subgrantee solutions you adopt.

What technical infrastructure is needed?

The project delivered a 'System for Continuous Integration' — a technical infrastructure for integrating SSI components. This was made available to all subgrantees, suggesting it is documented and reusable. The components are internet-based (the project targets electronic transactions via the internet as well as in real life), so standard web infrastructure should suffice.

Is there ongoing support after the project ended?

The project closed in December 2022, but the subgrantee network of up to 65 companies continues to operate commercially. The coordinator TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research) is a permanent research institution. The eSSIF-Lab community and its open-source components remain accessible through the project website.

Consortium

Who built it

The eSSIF-Lab consortium is led by TNO, the Netherlands' premier applied research organization, giving it strong credibility and technical depth. With 6 core partners across 5 countries (Netherlands, Greece, Spain, France, Poland), the project has genuine European reach. The consortium includes 4 SMEs and 2 industry partners (33% industry ratio), showing a balance between research rigor and commercial awareness. However, the real commercial power lies in the up to 65 subgrantee companies funded through cascade calls — this extended network represents a rich ecosystem of SSI solution providers, many of whom are now commercially active. For a business looking to adopt SSI technology, this consortium offers both the research backbone (TNO) and a wide marketplace of implementers to choose from.

NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNOCoordinator · NL
ECONET SLthirdparty · ES
NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURES FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGYparticipant · EL
FUNDINGBOX ACCELERATOR SP ZOOparticipant · PL
FUNDINGBOX COMMUNITIES SLthirdparty · ES
BLUMORPHOparticipant · FR

How to reach the team

TNO (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek), Netherlands — a major applied research institute, reachable through their public website

Order a report on this consortium See NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with TNO or one of the 65 subgrantee companies building digital identity solutions? SciTransfer can identify the right match for your specific use case and arrange an introduction.

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