certSIGN, the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics (ICI), the Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development, and Innovation (UEFISCDI), the Polytechnic University of Timisoara – partners, and Titu Maiorescu University – associate partner, contributed to the successful completion of a pilot project for the digital use of study diplomas and professional accreditations using personal attributes stored in the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW).
The European project, DC4EU (Digital Credentials for Europe), coordinated by the Spanish Ministry of Digital Transformation, ended at the end of July 2025 and aims to establish technical measures, processes, and procedures for creating a trusted framework for the use of digital attributes stored in the digital identity wallet.
The European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) is an electronic identification tool that allows the authentication and sharing of data related to the identity of users, whether natural or legal persons, throughout the European Union. It works as an app installed on your phone and can store different categories of electronic attributes (e.g., educational qualifications, age, place of residence, etc.). A key security feature of the new digital wallet is the integration of the Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) principle, which gives users full control over their own digital identity data, fundamentally differentiating it from existing solutions.
The pilot project tested how information from diplomas and professional qualifications can be safely integrated into the digital wallet. This will enable students and professionals to prove their educational background online, anywhere in the European Union, using an app installed on their mobile phone, without the need for paper files or travel.
The DC4EU project leverages the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) to ensure the validation, traceability, and secure verification of digital credentials across the European space.
certSIGN contributed to the creation of the technical architecture for the hybrid trust model of the ecosystem intended for the use of the European identity wallet in the DC4EU project and implemented the Public Key Infrastructure, providing the necessary digital certificates and trusted lists for verifying the legitimacy of the actors in the system. It also defined the registration and operating processes and procedures for the entities involved in the pilot: authentic sources, which hold and provide official data about the user, electronic attestation providers, which validate information and issue attestations such as diplomas or professional qualifications, and relying parties, which access these attributes with the user’s consent through the digital wallet.
“The pilot project we took part in simulated real-life conditions for using European digital identity in education and social security. Together with our partners, members of the DC4EU Consortium, we were able to demonstrate that it is possible for citizens to safely use the European digital identity wallet to prove who they are or what qualifications they have, without having to submit paperwork or physically go to a counter, while retaining full control over their personal data. We believe that the results of this project represent a step forward for the cross-border digital future.” Nicolae Ghibu, Chief Commercial Officer, certSIGN
ICI Bucharest made a significant contribution to the DC4EU project by developing the deployment methodology for implementing the Single Point of Contact mechanism in the use case dedicated to the education sector. The institute also developed and formalized the procedures necessary for monitoring pilot activities and reporting key performance indicators (KPIs), thus ensuring a coherent and effective framework for evaluating and tracking the pilot project outcomes.
“The involvement of ICI Bucharest in the DC4EU project emphasizes our ongoing commitment to developing trusted, citizen-oriented digital solutions. Testing the issuance and use of digital diplomas within the European Identity Wallet marks an important step towards interoperability and security at European level. We are thus demonstrating the potential of emerging technologies in support of education, mobility, and digital transformation.” Adrian-Victor Vevera, General Director, ICI Bucharest.
UEFISCDI carried out the pilot project dedicated to issuing and verifying digital diplomas, contributing to the documentation of relevant processes, the design of the pilot scenario, and the alignment of technical components with project requirements, as well as with national requirements.nThe institution developed the necessary framework for conducting the pilot in Romania, defining the test scenario and involving relevant actors in the field of education. To this end, it prepared the working infrastructure and closely monitored developments at European level, ensuring permanent alignment with the latest requirements and standards.
“The digitization of educational services plays a key role in supporting academic and professional mobility in Europe. Through this project, we have demonstrated that diplomas and certifications can be managed in a simple, secure, and cross-border recognized manner. It is an important step towards a modern education connected to digital realities,” Cosmin Cioranu, Head of IT and Support Infrastructure, UEFISCDI.
The Polytechnic University of Timișoara (UPT), with experience in four European projects dedicated to the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI), issued micro-credentials to participants in a doctoral program within the E³UDRES² European University Alliance, integrating the issuance and verification processes with the EBSI infrastructure. These activities contributed to validating the interoperability between the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW), the EBSI node operated by UPT, and the blockchain services developed at European level.
“The DC4EU project is extremely important for the digital and educational policies of the university, having a major impact on the development of European university alliances and student mobility. UPT played a key role in piloting the use case dedicated to micro-credentials, benefiting from over 10 years of experience in developing and issuing them. Alignment with the EBSI ecosystem is an essential step towards future integration with the European Digital Identity Wallet,” said Diana Andone, PhD, Eng., UPT team coordinator and Director of the Digital Education Department.
Titu Maiorescu University acted as Pilot Agent in the DC4EU project, actively participating in testing the issuance and verification flows of digital diplomas by integrating the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) into a real educational setting, with the direct involvement of students and university infrastructure. The university implemented a hybrid trust model, using decentralized technologies (DID – Decentralized Identifiers) to guarantee the legitimacy, integrity, and interoperability of digital documents.
„Participation of Titu Maiorescu in the European DC4EU project confirms our commitment to the digital transformation of education. We have demonstrated that it is possible for academic diplomas and certificates to be issued and used in digital format, in a secure, verifiable, and European-recognized environment. This initiative brings real benefits to students and graduates, who will be able to manage and present their qualifications without paper documents and without administrative barriers.” Iustin PRIESCU, Assoc. Prof., PhD. Eng., President of the Senate of Titu Maiorescu University and Project Manager on behalf of the university in the DC4EU project.
Partners in Romania are involved in the DC4EU project consortium, alongside nearly 100 institutions and private companies from 25 European countries, to test the applicability and use of the European digital identity wallet in the fields of education and social security.
The project stimulates innovation in the field of identification requirements in education, supporting the transition from traditional identification methods to secure digital identity. In addition, it facilitates the digital issuance of diplomas and professional certifications, giving students and teachers full control over their personal data in a highly trusted and cross-border recognized environment.
