The
EBSI-CAN project, funded by the
NGI Sargasso Digital Credentials call, investigated the potential of
the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) to streamline education credentialing across the EU and Canada. For individuals seeking further education in these regions, verifying credentials across borders is often a complex and costly process. It is an equally laborious task for institutions and employers seeking verification of the credentials. Despite the long-standing promise of decentralised technologies and federal government pronouncements about self-sovereign identity, progress towards more efficient, secure, and interoperable digital credentialing ecosystems has been slow.
This final report examines the feasibility of using EBSI to seamlessly recognise, verify, exchange and share digital credentials between the EU and Canada, using a digital credential ecosystem that supports cross-border recognition and verification, with an emphasis on identity and trust frameworks. Our focus is on the business and technical feasibility of using EBSI, a system developed for pan-European interoperability, into Canada’s provincially regulated education system. As of Q2 2024, EBSI has been rebranded as ‘EUROPEUM’ and will be deployed through the EUROPEUM-EDIC.
The report can be scrolled by clicking the image above, and downloaded from here.
Report Structure
Leveraging on data secured from expert workshops and market intelligence, the report follows a layered, structured approach:
- Introduction and Background: explains the need for interoperable digital credentialing systems and providing context on the existing landscapes in the EU and Canada. It highlights previous collaborations between the EU and Canada on digital solutions, emphasising the importance of ongoing dialogue and a shared vision for a secure and efficient digital future.
- EBSI Deep Dive: The report explains EBSI’s origins, its foundational principles, and the specific framework for verifiable credentials in the education sector. This section identifies the actors, applications, technical services, infrastructure, and legal aspects of EBSI.
- Canadian Context: There is a comparison of the Canadian digital credentialing landscape with the EU’s approach. The report highlights key differences in trust models and frameworks, using MyCreds™ and the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework (PCTF) as representative examples.
- User Journeys: To illustrate the potential applications and benefits of EBSI in Canada, the report presents four typical user journeys. The journeys map out the steps involved in cross-border credentialing scenarios, offering a practical understanding of how EBSI could be used in real-world situations.
- Key Issues, Recommendations, and Critical Success Factors: The core of the report lies in its identification of key issues, proposed recommendations, and a discussion of critical success factors. The final section highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing EBSI in Canada and provides a roadmap for stakeholders to navigate the complexities of cross-border credentialing.
Key Issues
The report identifies seven key issues that need to be addressed to address the complexities of cross-border credentialing between the EU and Canada:
- Provincial Education System: Canada’s decentralised education system, where provinces and territories have jurisdiction over education, adds complexity to implementing a nationwide digital credentialing system.
- British Columbia’s Leadership: While acknowledging the provincial nature of education, the report highlights British Columbia’s leading role in developing digital credential solutions.
- Trust Model Differences: The differences in trust models between the EU and Canada, exemplified by the eIDAS and PCTF frameworks, pose a significant challenge to interoperability.
- Interoperability Dimensions: Ensuring compatibility between different credentialing systems requires addressing legal, organisational, semantic, and technical interoperability, demanding a multi-faceted approach.
- SSI Adoption Commitment: Uncertainties about the commitment to self-sovereign identity (SSI) principles among stakeholders could hinder widespread adoption.
- Privacy and Security Standards: Differences in privacy and security standards between the EU and Canada need to be carefully considered to ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
- EBSI’s Future as an EDIC: The evolving nature of EBSI as a European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC) and its implications for accessibility and collaboration with Canada require ongoing assessment.
Recommendations
To address the identified issues, the report offers a set of detailed recommendations to kickstart action towards a more efficient, secure, and interoperable digital credentialing system that benefits students, institutions, and employers across both regions
- Pilot Project in British Columbia: Leverage British Columbia’s experience and expertise to launch a pilot project, assessing EBSI’s feasibility in the Canadian context and providing valuable insights for broader implementation.
- EU-Canada Working Group: Create an official working group to oversee the implementation of interoperable solutions, fostering dialogue, policy alignment, and technical coordination between EU and Canadian stakeholders.
- Aligning Trust Frameworks: Work towards harmonising trust frameworks, addressing legal and regulatory differences, and developing mechanisms for mutual recognition of credentials.
- Stakeholder Engagement and Impact Assessment: Implement a comprehensive framework for stakeholder engagement and impact assessment to ensure continuous improvement and responsiveness to user needs.
- Scalability Assessment: Evaluate the system’s capacity to handle increasing transaction volumes and user numbers as adoption grows, ensuring long-term performance and efficiency.
- Robust Security and Privacy Measures: Implement strong security measures and privacy protections to build trust and safeguard sensitive data, complying with both EU and Canadian regulations.
- Comprehensive Training and Educational Resources: Develop training programmes and resources for all stakeholders to promote understanding, facilitate adoption, and ensure effective use of the digital credentialing system.
