With the purpose of continuing to improve, Gijón – together with 16 European organisations in the framework of the IMPULSE project – will test the incorporation of Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence technologies for the identification of its citizens in public services in a safe, simple, universal, integrated way, with privacy at the core.
Gijón roadmap for digital identification
2002 – The Gijón Citizen Card was issued for the first time in 2002. It is a versatile document that identifies its holder before the Gijón City Council. Thanks to it, citizens can make use of the municipal bus transport, access museums and the network of libraries (including media libraries).
2004 – Over the years, the services offered have been expanded. Citizens can use the bikes offered by the Gijón City Council throughout the city; access to and pay for the sports facilities, and register for the activities and courses of the Gijón City Council. It also allows the use of public toilets; consult census data; obtain registration forms and pay for the parking areas.
2021- The Gijón City Council launches the Gijón App that allows citizens to carry out diverse procedures, both from its web version and through the app.
The Citizen Card offers several services. Among others:
- Top up money for the municipal bus, for the sports season ticket, and check the balance quickly and easily.
- Get real-time information about bus lines and stops.
- Request registration forms.
- Pay municipal receipts.
- Request book loan.
- Make an appointment in Municipal Centers.
- Reserve sports facilities.
Besides, Gijón App offers a messaging service to clarify doubts.
Current situation in Gijón
Thanks to the Citizen Card and the Gijón App, the city and its citizens can get many services in a modern, efficient and safe way. The launch of the new App coincided with the start of the IMPULSE project, which is committed to improving digital identities (eID) by introducing Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence.
Gijón case study
At present, the only mechanism to register and log in into the Gijón App – and be able to request any of the services it offers – is through a Citizen Card number and a personal identification number (PIN).
One of the objectives within the IMPULSE project is to integrate eID mechanisms with interoperable systems within the framework of the European Union. To do this, we will work in IMPULSE with a group of people to test the IMPULSE eID solution based on Blockchain and Artificial intelligence in a controlled environment.
In other words, Gijón will select a small group of people – among the more than 43,000 people who have already accessed any of the services offered by the Gijón App – to participate in a workshop where they will be invited to try and provide feedback about the proposed eID in terms of accessibilty, usability, trust, privacy, etc.
If the experience and metrics are satisfactory, this will allow not only Gijón but also the rest of the IMPULSE project partners to demonstrate the suitability of using cutting-edge technologies for electronic identification, being compliant with the current regulations on security and data protection.