Austrian Gov’t Pilot Aims to Secure COVID-19 Communications With Blockchain Tech

The Austrian government has backed a new blockchain-based research project, aiming to provide secure communication channels between authorities, institutions and citizens in times of crisis.

As announced June 18, the QualiSig project, launched by Austrian comms specialist A-Trust, will utilize the Ignis child chain, part of the Ardor blockchain from Swiss company Jelurida.

Answering the call

QualiSig recently received a grant of 60,000 euros ($67,300) from the Austrian government following an emergency call for companies needing funding for COVID-19 research.

The project uses transparent, encrypted communications and secure and decentralized data storage. Citizens will have sole responsibility for control over their data, using qualified digital signatures through mobile devices. A-Trust CEO, Michael Butz, explained:

“The mobile phone signature, with around 1.5 million users, is a widely used tool and has stood for highly secure authentication in the digital world for ten years. With the QualiSig project, we would like to provide people living in Austria with the necessary security for secure and traceable communication in these difficult times.”

Ardor gains heat in Austria

As Cointelegraph reported last month, Austrian authorities have also backed another recent project built around Ignis and Ardor Blockchain.

The HotCity project will use the technology to allow citizens to report waste heat hotspots in the cities of Vienna and Graz.