The objectives of the GmbH
We aim to contribute to the digitalisation of public administration in Germany by making Cert4Trust available to all interested institutions, ensuring that its operation is self-funding, and making the handling of digital documents secure.
Cert4Trust can help to enable the genuine digitalisation of administrative processes and reduce bureaucracy.
The Cert4Trust association (e.V.)
In december 2023 the Cert4Trust association was founded.
The objectives of the association
The Cert4Trust association promotes education and research in the field of e-government.
In particular, the recognition and evidential value of electronic documents are key concerns for us. For many administrative processes, documents are a prerequisite as proof of information – only when these can be validated digitally and automatically is the full digitalisation of these processes possible.
To promote information technology in these areas, the association disseminates knowledge and supports research and development into IT systems for the tamper-proof management and reliable verification of digital documents.
You can download the association’s articles of association here .
The Cert4Trust award
Through the annual “Cert4Trust Award for Trustworthy Digital Systems and Credentials”, Cert4Trust e.V. supports academic research focusing on the future of trustworthy digital systems. The focus is on innovative approaches to the tamper-proof management, issuance, verification and long-term traceability of digital documents.
The winning entries may, for example, address the following topics:
- Verifiable credentials
- Digital identities
- Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies
- Electronic educational qualifications
- Trustworthy certification systems
- Web3 technologies
- Digital trust environments and interoperable verification systems
Applications are open to authors of Bachelor’s and Master’s theses and doctoral dissertations from state or state-recognised universities and research institutions. The award amounts to 1,500 euros.
The winner will be selected by a jury comprising professors and representatives of the association. Criteria for assessment include the academic quality, the degree of innovation, the practical relevance and the societal value of the work.
Contact: foerderpreis@cert4trust.de
History: Pilot
Cert4Trust was launched in 2019 by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria in collaboration with the Bavarian State Ministry for Digital Affairs. Other partners in the pilot phase were the City of Munich and the Chamber of Skilled Crafts for Munich and Upper Bavaria.
After around a year of development, the system went live in August 2020 with the issuance of the first verifiable electronic qualification certificates by the Munich Chamber of Industry and Commerce. The pilot phase came to an end with the establishment of Cert4Trust e.V.
