Regional government of Madrid funds SmartDegrees’ University Smart Portfolio project

The regional government of Madrid has awarded SmartDegrees funding for its University Smart Portfolio use case within its new Spanish Blockchain Services Infrastructure (ISBE).

University Smart Portfolio (USP) adapts SmartDegrees’ blockchain-based digital identity app to the European Commission‘s European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) standard, promotes the use of Verifiable Credentials in universities, fosters interoperability between European institutions, and anticipates the regulations in force starting in 2027, under which every European citizen will have the right to a digital identity.

The project provides university students with a digital portfolio in which they can record and accredit their academic achievements, with credentials that can be shared securely and interoperably with platforms such as LinkedIn and others, leveraging blockchain technology and the eIDAS2 regulation.

Participation of UDIT and support from other entities

The University of Design, Innovation and Technology (UDIT) will test the USP in its internal systems, validating its usability. The European Campus Card Association (ECCA) will provide an international testing framework, Hassan II University of Morocco will expand the project’s scope beyond national and European territory, and the Sicomoro Foundation will allow cross-certification testing between Spanish entities from other sectors, strengthening interoperability at the national level.

This award from the Community of Madrid represents a key recognition of the innovation by the presented use case and consolidates the support obtained in 2019 from the European Commission, with its Seal of Excellence of Horizon 2020, to promote blockchain initiatives.

The grant is part of the regional government of Madrid’s line of aid aimed at SMEs and startups to encourage the use of blockchain technology, within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, for digitalization in key economic sectors, financed by the European Union (NextGenerationEU), and the agreement signed with Alastria, on 21-2-25 for the development, deployment and implementation of use cases for Spain’s Blockchain Services Infrastructure, which will be operational on 31-12-25, aligned with its European equivalent, European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI).