Towards a decentralized identity management ecosystem for Europe and beyond

Abstract

The objective of the FutureID project was to build an identity management infrastructure for Europe in support of a single market of online services. This requires the availability and large-scale use of trusted and secure identities that replace current password credentials. In the FutureID concept the number and topology of intermediary components is not fixed and static. FutureID rather adopts an ecosystem-approach by creating a free market for identity intermediation services. This provides for the flexibility to: scale according to need, adapt to market needs, support special needs of market sectors including niche markets, adapt to established contractual relationships, and easily adapt to various possible business models that render the infrastructure sustainable. This paper summarizes the results from the 3 year EU-funded project.