As Europe accelerates its journey toward a unified digital future, the introduction of the EUDI Wallet in 2026 marks a defining moment in the evolution of digital identity. With Italy positioned at the forefront of this transformation, both public institutions and private enterprises must prepare to navigate a rapidly shifting technological landscape
As the European Union moves steadily toward the deployment of a unified framework for digital identities, 2026 is expected to mark a critical milestone in the continental digital transformation agenda with the formal introduction of the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet). This digital tool is poised to become a cornerstone of secure, cross-border digital interactions for citizens, businesses, and public administrations across the EU. Designed to provide individuals with full control over their personal data while ensuring seamless authentication and digital signature capabilities, the EUDI Wallet represents both a technical and societal evolution in the governance of identity.
Italy, a country that has demonstrated notable maturity in the digital identity landscape, is emerging as one of the leading national contexts ready to support this transition. With 41.5 million active SPID (Sistema Pubblico di Identità Digitale) credentials and 48.4 million CIE (Carta d’Identità Elettronica) in circulation, the Italian digital infrastructure is already well-aligned with the foundational requirements of the EUDI initiative. This pre-existing engagement with digital identification tools places Italy in an advantageous position to integrate the forthcoming wallet into its public and private sector ecosystems. Marco Broggio, Chief Solutions Officer at Intesa, a company within the Kyndryl group and a recognized leader in secure digital services, has underscored the transformative nature of 2026, defining it as the year in which public and private identities will finally converge in an operational environment that shifts from experimentation to scalable production.
Beyond compliance, the integration of the EUDI Wallet should be recognized by Italian enterprises as a strategic imperative and a pivotal opportunity for systemic innovation. Broggio emphasizes that aligning with the EUDI framework transcends regulatory obligation and positions companies at the vanguard of digital transformation. The Wallet offers a highly secure and interoperable method of digital identity verification that can dramatically improve user experience across digital services. For businesses, the capacity to embed EUDI functionality into their existing digital architecture enables the simplification of customer onboarding, authentication, and transaction authorization processes. This evolution facilitates a shift toward customer-centric service models where frictionless access, data sovereignty, and privacy are seamlessly embedded into the user journey.
The functional integration of the EUDI Wallet is anticipated to streamline a wide range of digital interactions. Users will be empowered to perform tasks such as logging into digital platforms, electronically signing documents with qualified signatures, and verifying identity with immediacy and reliability, all from a single, secure application. In turn, businesses will benefit from increased user trust, reduced operational risks, and enhanced regulatory alignment, especially in sectors such as finance, healthcare, mobility, and e-government. The wallet’s capacity to operate in compliance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the eIDAS 2.0 framework adds a further layer of institutional credibility and technical robustness to its deployment.
Nonetheless, organizations that fail to adapt in a timely manner may face significant disadvantages. Companies that delay their technological transition risk not only operational inefficiencies but also a progressive loss of competitiveness. As consumer expectations evolve toward seamless and secure digital services, businesses unable to provide these experiences may be excluded from critical user segments or even entire markets. Moreover, failure to align with the EUDI architecture may impair collaborative capacity with European partners and institutions, further isolating lagging enterprises from innovation ecosystems and funding opportunities tied to digital compliance.
To facilitate a structured and successful transition, Intesa has articulated a comprehensive roadmap designed to support enterprises in their adaptation to the EUDI Wallet ecosystem. The first step involves a thorough assessment of existing digital touchpoints to identify technological bottlenecks, particularly in legacy systems that may hinder the integration of wallet capabilities. This diagnostic phase is followed by the design and implementation of a gradual adjustment plan aimed at modernizing IT infrastructures and adopting next-generation identity management platforms.
A critical component of this process is the integration of Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) systems, which serve as the foundation for enabling enterprise platforms to accept the EUDI Wallet as a credential for secure authentication. In parallel, existing electronic signature processes must be updated to accommodate qualified signatures executed through the wallet, in accordance with the requirements of eIDAS 2.0. Furthermore, organizations are advised to invest in enhancing the user experience by designing intuitive and responsive interfaces that ensure continuity, reliability, and ease of use across all interaction channels.
From a data governance perspective, the principle of data minimization must be rigorously applied. This involves collecting only the information strictly necessary for the intended digital transaction, a practice that not only ensures compliance with privacy regulations but also contributes to strengthening customer confidence in the digital services provided. Through careful design and transparent practices, businesses can affirm their role as trustworthy custodians of user data within a decentralized identity paradigm.