Digital identity forms the foundation of trust and collaboration in research and education (R&E). In a landscape where cooperation extends across borders and institutions, the capacity to securely demonstrate who we are and which credentials we possess is indispensable. Students transition between universities, researchers exchange resources across continents, and institutions must rely on identities issued in different contexts. Without a dependable and interoperable identity framework, these interactions risk becoming fragile and insecure.
The emergence of a digital identity wallet ecosystem strengthens this foundation by offering a unified, portable, and verifiable way to manage digital identities and credentials. Digital wallets enable students to carry academic records seamlessly from one institution to another, simplify recognition of qualifications across countries, and allow researchers to access shared infrastructures without repeated verification hurdles. By streamlining these use cases, the wallet ecosystem not only enhances trust but also accelerates collaboration, making the education sector more agile, inclusive, and resilient in a global environment.
Strengthening the role of R&E in the digital identity wallet ecosystem
The Wallets subtask in the GÉANT project (GN5-2, WP5 T6 – Enabling Communities) is working to redefine how individuals and organisations manage identity in a secure, user-centric way across research and education. This is not just a technical challenge, it’s a transformation that will empower communities across Europe and beyond.
Our goals include:
- Exploring wallet use cases tailored to research and education.
- Facilitating knowledge exchange across the GÉANT community.
- Collaborating on global interoperability for research and education scenarios.
- Exploring how eduGAIN and federations can underpin wallet trust infrastructure.
- Engaging with standardisation bodies and relevant industry fora.
- Exploring how wallets and credentials exchange can work seamlessly inside and outside research and education.
We are not simply following regulatory developments such as the revised eIDAS regulation and the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet; we are ensuring that the research and education sector has a voice in shaping these frameworks, and can actively pave the way towards their adoption. Our role is to translate the unique needs of universities, national research and education networks, and global collaborations into practical solutions. By doing so, we safeguard trust, enable mobility, and strengthen the digital backbone of education and research worldwide.
The Wallets subtask in action
Our activities are currently focusing on understanding the state of wallet adoption across Europe and other nations, clarifying terminology, and mapping the standards landscape. We are examining how existing identity federations can interact with wallet ecosystems, and how interoperability can be achieved both within the research and education sector and across other domains. We are also beginning to collect use cases that illustrate the potential of wallets for student mobility, credential verification, and secure access to resources. Alongside this, we are laying the groundwork for a global interoperability lab that will allow experimentation across borders and institutions.
Within our Wallets subtask, we embed risk management into our work to guarantee safe and sustainable adoption of digital identity wallets. Our framework aims to capture the full range of issues that must be addressed for wallets to succeed in research and education, by grouping risks into four categories:
- Financial risks – concerning sustainability and competition
- Legal risks – focusing on compliance and liability
- Strategic risks – involving governance and adoption challenges
- Security risks – stressing the protection of trust and data integrity
The road ahead and our invitation to join
The GÉANT project’s Wallet subtask is laying the foundation for secure, interoperable, and globally relevant digital identity wallets in the research and education sector. Our work is not only technical but strategic, ensuring that the values of openness, trust, and collaboration remain at the heart of digital identity.
Looking ahead, our plan is to deepen engagement with the revised eIDAS regulation 2.0 and EUDI wallet pilots, expand the interoperability lab into a collaborative platform, and broaden engagement with standard bodies to ensure that the research and education perspective is represented. We will continue to build a community of practice among NRENs and institutions, sharing knowledge and supporting adoption. Above all, we want more people to join the conversation. The success of this effort depends on broad participation: national networks, universities, industry partners, and policy makers all have a role to play in shaping how digital identity wallets will be used in research and education.
We invite colleagues across Europe and beyond to engage with us, contribute to the ongoing discussions, and help us transform these future work areas into living resources. Together we can ensure that digital identity wallets are not only interoperable and secure but also tailored to the unique needs of our community.
Join our mailing list and be part of this journey. Share your insights, contribute to discussions, and help us build solutions that matter.
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