Periodic Reporting for period 2 - eSSIF-Lab (European Self Sovereign Identity Framework Laboratory)
Période du rapport: 2021-05-01 au 2022-12-31
The core idea of eSSIF Lab is to
1. promote and facilitate the development of SSI technologies such as apps (e.g. for digital wallets), protocols (for requesting/negotiating verifiable credentials and responding to such requests) that allow for the integration of existing and upcoming SSI-technologies, both blockchain based or non-blockchain based;
2. to develop SSI business information support that allows businesses to update/redesign their information processes so they can benefit from these technologies while retaining their ‘Self-Sovereignty’ as they conduct electronic (business) transactions; and
3. For developers to interact on the above-mentioned building blocks, connecting to and building-upon each other’s solutions, creating a shared, tested, interoperable federation of SSI solutions.
It will achieve this so by creating a distributed ‘playing ground’, in which both technologies and business information support can be tested, demonstrated and exercised, and can easily be connected to (open APIs) and reproduced (open source) by anyone, either by funded projects selected for the ICT-24 cascading funding or any project outside this funding mechanism. This provides a risk-reduced way for businesses to develop their individual business-case for deciding whether or not to adopt this new way of working.
1. promote and facilitate the development of SSI technologies such as apps (e.g. for digital wallets), protocols (for requesting/negotiating verifiable credentials and responding to such requests) that allow for the integration of existing and upcoming SSI-technologies, both blockchain based or non-blockchain based;
2. to develop SSI business information support that allows businesses to update/redesign their information processes so they can benefit from these technologies while retaining their ‘Self-Sovereignty’ as they conduct electronic (business) transactions; and
3. For developers to interact on the above-mentioned building blocks, connecting to and building-upon each other’s solutions, creating a shared, tested, interoperable federation of SSI solutions.
It will achieve this so by creating a distributed ‘playing ground’, in which both technologies and business information support can be tested, demonstrated and exercised, and can easily be connected to (open APIs) and reproduced (open source) by anyone, either by funded projects selected for the ICT-24 cascading funding or any project outside this funding mechanism. This provides a risk-reduced way for businesses to develop their individual business-case for deciding whether or not to adopt this new way of working.
The eSSIF-Lab ecosystem has grown through the open calls:
- The business-oriented open calls 1 and 2 yielded 30 completed sub-projects. These sub-projects develop commercially competitive SSI components and services within WP4 SSI Innovation Space.
- The infrastructure-oriented open call yielded 21 completed sub-projects to the WP2 SSI Framework. The sub-projects focus on open source technical enhancements and extensions of the eSSIF-Lab framework.
- An additional Completing the Framework (CFOC) led to 4 completed sub-projects focused on SSI working solutions and SSI framework extensions.
A dozen SSI inter-projects have been launched between the sub-grantees. This contributes to strengthening the network between the sub-grantees and thus the eSSIF-Lab ecosystem.
Deliverable D2.3 Final Common SSI Framework highlights the interop and standardisation contributions for the two categories of sub-grantees. For the business-oriented sub-projects, it highlights how they demonstrated effective use of eSSIF-Lab components from earlier eSSIF-Lab sub- projects. For the infrastructure-oriented sub-grantee projects (IOC2, IOC3), it highlights their interop collaborations and contributions to standardisation. For the final batch of sub-grantees (CFOC), it highlights how their work links back to other eSSIF-Lab sub-grantee projects. Finally, it shows how the TNO EASSI solution achieves interoperability between SSI wallet infrastructures from eSSIF-Lab sub-grantees and others, and what other European and international collaborations eSSIF-Lab and its sub-grantees have contributed to.
eSSIF-Lab sub-grantees continue to contribute to SSI standardisation at a large scale.
A group of eSSIF-Lab alumni have created the “eSSIF-Lab-to-Market” initiative as continuation of the eSSIF-Lab ecosystem. Arrangements have been made with DG CONNECT to continue the European NGI-eSSIF-Lab/EBSI/eIDAS coordination meetings with eSSIF-Lab-to-Market, and through DG Connect as well as direct contacts continue the collaborations with USA-DHS-SVIP and CAN-CIOSC-NTS.
- The business-oriented open calls 1 and 2 yielded 30 completed sub-projects. These sub-projects develop commercially competitive SSI components and services within WP4 SSI Innovation Space.
- The infrastructure-oriented open call yielded 21 completed sub-projects to the WP2 SSI Framework. The sub-projects focus on open source technical enhancements and extensions of the eSSIF-Lab framework.
- An additional Completing the Framework (CFOC) led to 4 completed sub-projects focused on SSI working solutions and SSI framework extensions.
A dozen SSI inter-projects have been launched between the sub-grantees. This contributes to strengthening the network between the sub-grantees and thus the eSSIF-Lab ecosystem.
Deliverable D2.3 Final Common SSI Framework highlights the interop and standardisation contributions for the two categories of sub-grantees. For the business-oriented sub-projects, it highlights how they demonstrated effective use of eSSIF-Lab components from earlier eSSIF-Lab sub- projects. For the infrastructure-oriented sub-grantee projects (IOC2, IOC3), it highlights their interop collaborations and contributions to standardisation. For the final batch of sub-grantees (CFOC), it highlights how their work links back to other eSSIF-Lab sub-grantee projects. Finally, it shows how the TNO EASSI solution achieves interoperability between SSI wallet infrastructures from eSSIF-Lab sub-grantees and others, and what other European and international collaborations eSSIF-Lab and its sub-grantees have contributed to.
eSSIF-Lab sub-grantees continue to contribute to SSI standardisation at a large scale.
A group of eSSIF-Lab alumni have created the “eSSIF-Lab-to-Market” initiative as continuation of the eSSIF-Lab ecosystem. Arrangements have been made with DG CONNECT to continue the European NGI-eSSIF-Lab/EBSI/eIDAS coordination meetings with eSSIF-Lab-to-Market, and through DG Connect as well as direct contacts continue the collaborations with USA-DHS-SVIP and CAN-CIOSC-NTS.
Impact 1: Shaping a more human-centric evolution of the Internet
KPI 1.1 Technical limitations of SSI framework addressed
Sub-grantee Fraunhofer addressed the limitation that trust relationships are difficult to administer for verifiers. Sub-grantee ValidatedID addressed the limitation that SSI could not be combined with eIDAS signatures. Sub-grantee Verifiable Credentials Ltd addressed the limitation that SSI policies are hard to manage. Sub-grantee Gataca addressed the limitation that verifiers were forced to integrate with multiple mutually incompatible SSI technologies. Sub-grantee Evernym addressed the limitation that getting started with SSI was difficult due to the proprietary-ness of SSI wallets.
KPI 1.2 eSSIF-Lab promotes Social Innovation
Sub-grantee Domilabs is set to creating a more efficient relationship between actors in the real estate actor allowing them to be more connected and to save time in transactions. Sub-grantee Resonate is making strides in allowing musicians and other artists regain control of the distribution of their music while managing their own communities. Sub-grantee E-Origin will allow customs to track goods with more accuracy while reducing costs. Sub-grantee Truu will significantly reduce the paperwork and transfer time of a doctor to another hospital. Sub-grantee Bloqzone will significantly reduce the identification time and risk for phone calls from and to call centers.
Impact 2: Create a European ecosystem of top researchers, hi-tech startups and SMEs
KPI 2.1 Ten yearly SSI community building actions 10 hackathons, bootcamps, webinars, pre-events per year in relation to the open calls.
5 online sessions and 5 events were attended in relation to the open calls. Additionally bi-weekly eSSIF-Lab ecosystem meetups for all sub-grantees where held.
KPI 2.2 Tech media acknowledging eSSIF-Lab project
Several sub-grantees as well as TNO have presented at the Rebooting Web of Trust (#RWOT11) event in The Hague, Netherlands (26-30 September 2022).
Impact 3: Generate new business opportunities and new Internet companies
KPI 3.1 SSI business ideas and opportunities identified 700 new SSI business.
A total of 737 draft applications were started to all eSSIF-Lab open calls. Of those, 203 applications were submitted.
KPI 3.2 Increase in the market share of SSI based solutions
2 eSSIF-Lab sub-grantees have been taken over by larger European organisations, indicating the achieved value and technology positions by them. eSSIF-Lab sub-grantees are visibly contributing in all main European identity (EBSI, EIDAS) and transatlantic programs (ao USA-DHS Silicon Valley Innovation Program, EC-CAN collaboration), as well to commercial national programs coordinated by national SSI associations. The main indicator is the success of the business-oriented sub-grantees in attracting customers and developing a market proposition, as well the active use of the open-source components developed by the infrastructure-oriented sub-grantees.
Impact 4: Integrate research and innovation communities
KPI 4.1 Strategic papers on SSI with industry partners
Drummond Reed (Evernym) , Oskar van Deventer, Rieks Joosten (TNO): "The basic building blocks of SSI", Chapter 2 of the book "Self-Sovereign Identity". Oskar van Deventer (TNO), Alexander Blom, Line Kofoed (Bloqzone), “We need countermeasures against SSI coercion”, Privacy & Pandemics Workshop, Web, October 27-28, 2020. Sterre den Breeijen (TNO), with others "On Guardianship in Self-Sovereign Identity", Sovrin.
KPI 4.2 Collaboration with Industry in developing new business and setting standards
Rieks Joosten (TNO), Drummond Reed (Evernym): founder and co-chairs of new Trust-over-IP Concepts & Terminology Working Group. Sub-grantee Gataca initiated the Verifier Universal Interface standardisation, which will be likely adopted by DIF after eSSIF-Lab. Sub-grantee Danubetech is main contributor to W3C DID and DID-related working groups in DIF. Sub-grantee Sphereon is main contributor to the OIDC standards related to SSI.
KPI 1.1 Technical limitations of SSI framework addressed
Sub-grantee Fraunhofer addressed the limitation that trust relationships are difficult to administer for verifiers. Sub-grantee ValidatedID addressed the limitation that SSI could not be combined with eIDAS signatures. Sub-grantee Verifiable Credentials Ltd addressed the limitation that SSI policies are hard to manage. Sub-grantee Gataca addressed the limitation that verifiers were forced to integrate with multiple mutually incompatible SSI technologies. Sub-grantee Evernym addressed the limitation that getting started with SSI was difficult due to the proprietary-ness of SSI wallets.
KPI 1.2 eSSIF-Lab promotes Social Innovation
Sub-grantee Domilabs is set to creating a more efficient relationship between actors in the real estate actor allowing them to be more connected and to save time in transactions. Sub-grantee Resonate is making strides in allowing musicians and other artists regain control of the distribution of their music while managing their own communities. Sub-grantee E-Origin will allow customs to track goods with more accuracy while reducing costs. Sub-grantee Truu will significantly reduce the paperwork and transfer time of a doctor to another hospital. Sub-grantee Bloqzone will significantly reduce the identification time and risk for phone calls from and to call centers.
Impact 2: Create a European ecosystem of top researchers, hi-tech startups and SMEs
KPI 2.1 Ten yearly SSI community building actions 10 hackathons, bootcamps, webinars, pre-events per year in relation to the open calls.
5 online sessions and 5 events were attended in relation to the open calls. Additionally bi-weekly eSSIF-Lab ecosystem meetups for all sub-grantees where held.
KPI 2.2 Tech media acknowledging eSSIF-Lab project
Several sub-grantees as well as TNO have presented at the Rebooting Web of Trust (#RWOT11) event in The Hague, Netherlands (26-30 September 2022).
Impact 3: Generate new business opportunities and new Internet companies
KPI 3.1 SSI business ideas and opportunities identified 700 new SSI business.
A total of 737 draft applications were started to all eSSIF-Lab open calls. Of those, 203 applications were submitted.
KPI 3.2 Increase in the market share of SSI based solutions
2 eSSIF-Lab sub-grantees have been taken over by larger European organisations, indicating the achieved value and technology positions by them. eSSIF-Lab sub-grantees are visibly contributing in all main European identity (EBSI, EIDAS) and transatlantic programs (ao USA-DHS Silicon Valley Innovation Program, EC-CAN collaboration), as well to commercial national programs coordinated by national SSI associations. The main indicator is the success of the business-oriented sub-grantees in attracting customers and developing a market proposition, as well the active use of the open-source components developed by the infrastructure-oriented sub-grantees.
Impact 4: Integrate research and innovation communities
KPI 4.1 Strategic papers on SSI with industry partners
Drummond Reed (Evernym) , Oskar van Deventer, Rieks Joosten (TNO): "The basic building blocks of SSI", Chapter 2 of the book "Self-Sovereign Identity". Oskar van Deventer (TNO), Alexander Blom, Line Kofoed (Bloqzone), “We need countermeasures against SSI coercion”, Privacy & Pandemics Workshop, Web, October 27-28, 2020. Sterre den Breeijen (TNO), with others "On Guardianship in Self-Sovereign Identity", Sovrin.
KPI 4.2 Collaboration with Industry in developing new business and setting standards
Rieks Joosten (TNO), Drummond Reed (Evernym): founder and co-chairs of new Trust-over-IP Concepts & Terminology Working Group. Sub-grantee Gataca initiated the Verifier Universal Interface standardisation, which will be likely adopted by DIF after eSSIF-Lab. Sub-grantee Danubetech is main contributor to W3C DID and DID-related working groups in DIF. Sub-grantee Sphereon is main contributor to the OIDC standards related to SSI.