Responsible innovation for digital identity and SME financing
Who I helped
In the OnePass project, co-funded by the Digital Europe Programme, I acted as Ethics Mentor. The project builds a trusted digital identity and credentialing solution for SMEs seeking financing, based on blockchain (EBSI) and self-sovereign identity (SSI) technologies.
My role was to ensure that the platform is designed, tested and deployed in a way that is lawful, fair, transparent and socially responsible.
Project webpage: https://getonepass.eu/
Context and challenge
The project involved cross-border collaboration, blockchain data flows and pilot testing with SME representatives.
Key ethical challenges included:
- GDPR compliance in digital onboarding (KYC/KYB procedures),
- accountability and transparency in data sharing between issuers, verifiers and holders,
- inclusive access for SMEs from less-developed innovation ecosystems,
- cybersecurity and data protection in a distributed architecture,
- minimising the environmental footprint of blockchain-based solutions.
What I did
- updated the Ethics Management Plan and coordinated its implementation,
- created and conducted the Ethics Check procedure, covering six ethical domains: data protection, human participation, transparency, fairness, environmental sustainability and security,
- authored the final Ethics Report summarising compliance and lessons learned,
- ensured that ethics principles were embedded in project governance, not treated as formalities.
Results and value
- the consortium implemented a proportionate and effective ethics framework,
- partners improved their awareness and accountability in data-driven innovation,
- the pilot demonstrated that blockchain solutions can be secure, inclusive and sustainable,
- the project strengthened trust among participants and stakeholders, setting an example for future Digital Europe initiatives.
Summary / invitation
In OnePass, I helped ensure that innovation in blockchain and digital identity goes hand in hand with ethics and trust.
If your project explores data, digital identity, or blockchain technologies, I can support your consortium in building a responsible framework that meets both ethical and legal expectations.
