On June 26th in Rome, Tinexta Infocert hosted the final in-person event of the NOBID project, one of the Large Scale Pilots (LSPs) funded by the European Commission to test and enable interoperability between national digital identity wallets within the future EU Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet ecosystem.
The NOBID initiative brought together six countries and more than 30 organizations with the goal of demonstrating how citizens could use their national digital wallets in cross-border scenarios.
Which are the outputs of the project?
The project as a whole successfully demonstrated the feasibility of issuing and verifying Qualified Electronic Attestations of Attributes (QEAAs) across borders. These credentials were used in real-world use cases such as opening a bank account, verifying age, sharing higher education qualifications, using mobile driving licences, and matching identities. Countries including Italy, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, and Latvia participated in these pilots, which confirmed that technical interoperability based on the EUDI Wallet framework is not only achievable, but already functioning in controlled environments.
Outstanding Challenges on the Path to a Unified Digital Identity
However, the project also brought to light important challenges—particularly regarding semantic and legal interoperability. Differences in how data is structured (such as addresses or educational qualifications) and how national laws approach certain use cases (like parental representation) continue to create barriers to seamless interaction between countries. These obstacles highlight the need for deeper alignment on both technical and legal levels moving forward.
User feedback from the pilots provided valuable insights as well. While participants generally appreciated the concept of a unified European digital identity wallet, many pointed out issues with confusing workflows, inconsistent user interfaces, and a lack of clear guidance. Accessibility concerns also emerged, reinforcing the importance of a user-centric approach in future development stages.
The NOBID experience underlined the need for early agreement on common standards. Beyond the technical and design aspects, the project highlighted the strategic importance of cross-border collaboration and coordination with other EU initiatives.
In conclusion, the NOBID project has been a pivotal step in demonstrating the technical and conceptual viability of the EUDI Wallet. It has provided a clearer picture of the path ahead for creating a secure, inclusive, and interoperable digital identity ecosystem across Europe.
