R&D Project

VIPS‑ID

Verifiable, private, distributed and post‑quantum secure identification of people and things, combining advanced biometrics, Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) and cutting‑edge cryptography.

Executive overview

VIPS‑ID addresses one of the most critical challenges of digital transformation: the secure and privacy‑preserving electronic identification of individuals and IoT devices. Current solutions are typically device‑centric or server‑centric, lack external verifiability, rely on centralized trust anchors and are vulnerable to identity theft, data breaches and emerging quantum attacks.

The project proposes a novel paradigm based on verifiable cryptographic evidence, distributed trust models and post‑quantum secure constructions, enabling robust identification without exposing sensitive biometric or hardware‑derived data.

Scientific & technological objectives

Verifiable identification

Provide external cryptographic proofs of the identification process, enabling traceability, auditability and resistance against malicious verifiers.

Privacy by design

Process and match encrypted biometric data and PUF responses using homomorphic encryption and zero‑knowledge techniques, without revealing sensitive information.

Distributed trust

Avoid single points of failure by distributing identity secrets through secret sharing, threshold cryptography and decentralized architectures.

Post‑quantum security

Adopt cryptographic primitives resistant to quantum attacks, aligned with NIST post‑quantum standardization efforts.

Innovation over the state of the art

VIPS‑ID goes beyond widely adopted solutions such as FIDO and current biometric platforms by introducing distributed and verifiable identification models. It aligns with emerging European frameworks including eIDAS 2.0, European Digital Identity Wallets and W3C Decentralized Identifiers, while filling the existing gap regarding secure and privacy‑preserving biometrics.

The project integrates advanced cryptography (homomorphic encryption, zero‑knowledge proofs, secure multiparty computation) with biometric recognition and PUF‑based identification, targeting both human users and IoT devices under a unified framework.

Expected results & impact

People identification

Uni‑ and multi‑modal biometric components (face and vein patterns) using ordinary smartphones, preserving usability and inclusion.

IoT device identification

Robust identification of devices based on PUFs and true random number generators, resilient against cloning and spoofing attacks.

Prototypes & TRL

Two validated prototypes reaching TRL 5–6, demonstrating secure identification in relevant environments.

Societal impact

Contribution to digital public services, cybersecurity, Industry 4.0 and the objectives of Spain’s Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Participants

Open Ximdex Evolution SL (OXE)

Project coordinator and private SME, responsible for applied research, system integration and market‑oriented development.

Universidad de Sevilla — IMSE

Public research partner contributing state‑of‑the‑art expertise in microelectronics, cryptography, biometrics and PUF technologies.

Funding

This project, VIPS-ID, corresponding to the year 2022, is funded under the public-private collaboration scheme of the Spanish Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica, Técnica y de Innovación 2021-2023, within the framework of the Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia.

Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
Unión Europea – NextGenerationEU
Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia
Agencia Estatal de Investigación

Funded by MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union – NextGenerationEU under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR).