Canada’s participation in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) initiative to test digital identities in travel has been stalled due to the pandemic, but Transport Canada has pledged that agencies will finish the project. It says it does.
“All partners are committed to continuing to work together to finish the project and disseminate the knowledge gained through this initiative,” Transport Canada spokesman Hisham Ayun told the Epoch Times. .
He said during the suspension, aviation industry partners proceeded to test advanced technologies such as biometrics and digital ID credentials, with the intention of reducing or replacing the “analog” processes currently in place. said.
Known Traveler Digital Identity (KTDI) airline industry partners include Montreal Trudeau and Toronto Pearson, Amsterdam Schiphol, Air Canada and Royal Dutch Airlines.
Other partners include the Netherlands, IT and services company Accenture.
dutch government Said There were no concrete plans to conduct a KTDI pilot last fall, but its current stance is unclear. A request for information has been sent to the Dutch government.
Ayoun pointed out the 2021 WEF white paperwhich “accelerates the transition to digital authentication for travel,” says KTDI is a “vehicle” for lessons learned as outlined in the paper.
The WEF credits the paper with designing and building, together with partners, the first public-private “ecosystem” for testing technology.
“As the use of verifiable documents (government-issued ID vaccination certificate, proof of negative COVID-19 test, etc.) becomes a requirement for safe cross-border travel, there will be a need for trusted digital credentials across sectors and borders. Global demand for certification is skyrocketing,” the document said.
Details of the new pilot projects involving Canadian airports and airlines will be released this spring, Ayoun said, though he did not say whether they involved any outside parties. did not do it.
This is an area of the department’s current focus, he said, with the aim of streamlining passenger journeys.
Canada is involved in another digital identity project with the WEF under the Agile Nations network. The project seeks to usher in the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” by streamlining regulations to enable the proliferation of new technologies.
The WEF held its annual meeting in Davos this week, with Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and International Trade Minister Mary Ng participating in a panel discussion.
Freeland also attended meetings of the WEF Board of Directors, of which she is a member.
The department involved in organizing the Canadian delegation’s visit did not respond to inquiries from the Epoch Times.
The WEF is an organization that brings together leaders in fields such as politics, industry and activism.
Noé Chartier is a reporter for the Epoch Times based in Montreal. Twitter: @NChartierET Gettr: @nchartieret