Aptitude pilot launches to advance Europe’s digital identity future

Europe’s ambitious digital identity programme has reached a critical milestone with the launch of Aptitude, one of the European Commission’s new Large-Scale Pilots (LSPs) for the EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW).

The two-year initiative brings together over 110 organisations from more than 15 European countries, spanning public administrations, private-sector partners and technology specialists, to test real-world applications of digital identity across payments, mobility and cross-border travel.

The Aptitude Project

Aptitude to advance Europe’s digital identity

The Aptitude project aims to demonstrate how a trusted digital identity framework can enhance interoperability, usability and privacy across Europe.

It will run in parallel with the EU’s formal rollout of national EUDI wallets, mandated under Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, which amends the bloc’s eIDAS framework.

By 2026, all Member States are expected to provide citizens with a secure digital wallet capable of managing identity credentials for use across borders and sectors.

EU Digital Identity Wallet

At its core, the EU Digital Identity Wallet seeks to give individuals and businesses a unified, secure and user-friendly way to prove who they are — both online and offline.

Users will be able to store and share verified digital documents, such as identity cards, driving licences, diplomas or transport passes, within a single app.

Crucially, the system allows for selective disclosure, enabling citizens to verify only necessary details — for example, confirming age without revealing a birthdate — significantly reducing the risks associated with excessive data sharing.

The wallet’s open-source design ensures transparency and inclusivity, allowing Member States and developers to adapt its architecture while maintaining common standards.

A prototype of the wallet, built under the Digital Europe Programme, provides the foundation for testing and refining key features through the Large-Scale Pilots.

These pilots feed directly into the Architecture and Reference Framework (ARF) — the EU’s technical blueprint for digital identity interoperability.

Since 2023, four major pilots have been exploring how the EUDI Wallet performs in real-life contexts, from financial services to education and transportation.

Collectively involving over 350 organisations across 26 Member States, Norway, Iceland and Ukraine, these initiatives will inform final adjustments before the wallet’s EU-wide deployment.

By creating a single, privacy-preserving digital ID that works seamlessly across borders, the EU aims to build greater trust in online transactions, simplify access to public and private services, and strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty.

Aptitude’s launch marks a decisive step in that journey — one that could redefine how Europeans authenticate, transact and travel in the digital era.