TrustED kicks off pilot phase following a productive meeting in Rome

TrustED kicks off pilot phase following a productive meeting in Rome

• Consortium partners meet in Rome to align on project advances, pilot deployment and next steps towards trustworthy European data spaces.
• The project moves from design to real-world implementation, validating privacy-preserving and self-sovereign identity solutions.

(IN BRIEF) TrustED has reached a key milestone as consortium partners gathered in Rome to align on progress and prepare for the shift from research and design to real-world pilot deployment. Representatives from ten organisations across five European countries reviewed technical developments, agreed on interoperability frameworks, and refined evaluation strategies to ensure measurable results. In the coming months, the project will launch pilots demonstrating how self-sovereign identity and privacy-preserving data spaces can enable secure, user-controlled data exchange, testing consent management, interoperability, privacy safeguards, and auditability. With rising public concern over digital privacy and major EU investment in trusted digital infrastructure, TrustED aims to support Europe’s vision for data sovereignty by validating solutions in operational environments and contributing to the development of citizen-centric, secure digital ecosystems.

(PRESS RELEASE) VIGO, Spain, 27-Nov-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — TrustED has successfully held its consortium meeting in Rome this week, marking a major milestone as the initiative transitions from research and development to the pilot phase.

The two-day event brought together all consortium made up of 10 organizations from 5 countries (Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany and Turkey) to consolidate technical progress and finalize the roadmap for pilot deployment across multiple European contexts.

During the sessions, the consortium aligned on pilot objectives, interoperability frameworks, and evaluation methods to ensure measurable impact. This milestone represents the beginning of a new stage where TrustED technologies will be tested in real-world environments, validating their effectiveness, usability, and compliance with European data standards.

Additionally, a dedicated session was held with members of the External Advisory Board, including Ignacio Alamillo, Alberto Pedrouzo and Pietro Bartoccioni, who provided strategic insights to strengthen the project’s direction and ensure alignment with emerging European regulations and best practices.

Testing trust in action: real-world use cases for SSI and data spaces

Over the coming months, TrustED will deploy a set of pilots designed to demonstrate how self-sovereign identity (SSI) and trustworthy data spaces can enable secure, privacy-preserving data exchange across sectors.

Each pilot will involve collaboration among citizens, service providers, and data controllers, covering diverse scenarios where digital identity and data governance play a key role. The pilots will test: Data governance and consent management, ensuring users retain full control of their information; Interoperability and standards compliance, enabling data exchange across different identity ecosystems; Privacy-preserving technologies, to minimise exposure of sensitive data; Auditability and transparency, building trust through verifiable and traceable processes.

These demonstrations aim to provide valuable insights into the technical, social, and ethical aspects of deploying SSI in operational environments. The outcomes will guide the future development of interoperable, user-centric data spaces across Europe.

Building Europe’s future of digital trust and data sovereignty

In a time when Europe is intensifying efforts to strengthen digital sovereignty and protect citizens’ privacy, TrustED contributes directly to the European Union’s strategy for secure and trustworthy data ecosystems. According to the European privacy market summary published by KPMG in 2024, 59 % of Europeans reported being more concerned about their privacy than they were five years ago.

Furthermore, the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility published by the European Parliamentary Research Service last year, has allocated over €53 billion to the digitization of public administration and e-government services (more than one-third of its total digital investment). Such large-scale investment reflects the EU’s commitment to building a trustworthy digital society: a goal that TrustED actively advances by combining cutting-edge SSI technologies with privacy-preserving infrastructures.

The discussions held in Rome underscored the partners’ shared commitment to transparency, collaboration, and impact. The project’s multidisciplinary approach (spanning technology, ethics, governance, and user engagement) ensures that the pilots will not only validate innovation but also deliver tangible value for citizens and organisations, while supporting the implementation of the European Digital Identity Framework and the European Strategy for Data.

About Gradiant
Gradiant is a private ICT technology center focused on the needs of industry and specialized in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, advanced communications (5G–6G), quantum and photonic technologies, drones, and smart industry.

Since its founding in 2008, Gradiant has developed more than 900 projects and worked with over 400 clients in 30 countries. With 250 professionals on its team, Gradiant has spent more than 15 years contributing to the strengthening of the technological innovation ecosystem in the field of ICT, both in Spain and in Europe, developing solutions related to connectivity, intelligence, and security that help reinforce and improve the competitiveness of strategic sectors worldwide, such as primary industries, healthcare, telecommunications, and aerospace, among others.

About TrustED
TrustED (Enabling trustworthy European data spaces through self-sovereign identity and privacy-preserving technologies) is a Horizon Europe project aimed at building trust in digital ecosystems by combining self-sovereign identity (SSI), data governance, and privacy-enhancing technologies. Led by Gradiant, this project brings together leading European research centres, industry partners, and social organisations to create the foundations of a secure, interoperable, and citizen-centric data economy.

All TrustED partners are: Gradiant (leader), Tree Technology, Fundación Cibervoluntarios (Spain); Infocert SPA, Cybersocial Lab (Italy); Fraunhofer (through two different departments: Fraunhofer AISEC and Fraunhofer ISST) (Germany); Promptly, Centro Hospitalar Universitario de Coimbra (Portugal); SESTEK (Turkey); and Fondazione Mondo Digitale (associated entity).

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101168467.

Media contact:

Ms. Paula Tosar,
+34 618 649 289
comunicacion@gradiant.org

FAQs – TrustED Project & Consortium Meeting

1. What is the main purpose of the recent consortium meeting in Rome?
   The meeting aimed to align partners on project advancements, finalise pilot deployment plans, and prepare for the transition from research and design to real-world implementation of TrustED technologies.
2. Who participated in the meeting?
   The consortium consists of 10 partner organisations across five countries—Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, and Turkey. Members of the External Advisory Board also attended, offering guidance and strategic direction.
3. What stage is the TrustED project currently in?
   TrustED is moving from the design and development phase into real-world pilot testing, marking a major milestone in the project’s progress.
4. What will the upcoming pilot deployments focus on?
   The pilots will test the use of self-sovereign identity (SSI) and trustworthy data spaces to enable secure, privacy-preserving data exchange across sectors.
5. What will be evaluated during the pilots?
   Key areas include data governance and user consent, interoperability between digital identity ecosystems, privacy-preserving technologies, and auditability for transparency and trust.
6. Why is this project important for Europe?
   TrustED contributes to the European Union’s goals of improving data sovereignty, strengthening digital privacy, and supporting the development of secure digital public services.
7. What evidence supports the need for more privacy-centric digital solutions in Europe?
   According to a KPMG report, 59% of Europeans are now more concerned about their privacy compared to five years ago, and the EU has allocated more than €53 billion to digital public administration reforms.
8. How will the project impact citizens and organisations?
   By validating SSI and privacy-first architectures in real environments, TrustED aims to ensure individuals retain control over their data while enabling secure, compliant data exchange for organisations.
9. Who leads the TrustED project?
   The project is led by Gradiant, a technology centre specialising in cybersecurity, AI, advanced communications, and privacy innovation.
10. Which organisations are involved in TrustED?
    Partners include:
    Gradiant (lead), Tree Technology, Fundación Cibervoluntarios (Spain); Infocert SPA, Cybersocial Lab (Italy); Fraunhofer AISEC and Fraunhofer ISST (Germany); Promptly, Centro Hospitalar Universitario de Coimbra (Portugal); SESTEK (Turkey); and Fondazione Mondo Digitale (associated entity).
11. What does TrustED aim to achieve long-term?
    The goal is to build a secure, interoperable and citizen-centric data ecosystem capable of supporting trustworthy European data spaces and future digital identity frameworks.

SOURCE: Gradiant