On September 25th, the MEF Information and Innovation Systems Directorate, represented by Roberta Lotti, took part in the seminar on "Blockchain and services: what role in Italy for public administrations and businesses?" Organized by the Bordoni Foundation at the Oratorio del Gonfalone in Rome.

Besides the MEF, the event was attended by:

• Antonio Sassano, President of the Ugo Bordoni Foundation
• Roberto Viola, Director General DG CONNECT European Commission
• Antonio Nicita, AGCOM Commissioner
• Yann Maigron, Director of Frequency Management, ANFR
• Marcella Atzori, University College of London
• Adriana Agrimi, Director of Digital Transformation, AgID
• Mario Nobile, Director General for MIT information and statistical systems
• Mirella Liuzzi, Secretary of the Presidency of the Chamber
• Marco Bellezza, Legal Adviser to Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio

The seminar was an opportunity for a constructive discussion on the use of Blockchain within the PA and its possible positive implications for services to citizens, the rationalization of state resources as well as increasing the security of sensitive data.

Roberta Lotti, during her speech, underlined how Blockchain was a technology that the Ministry has always looked at as a possible innovative solution for various services currently managed by the Management. Specifically, Lotti underlined how since 2014, through the initiative that led to the creation of the SUNFISH project, the intention to look at the Blockchain was supported starting from concrete use cases strictly connected to the services provided and identifying the problem to be solved, then the supporting technology. In particular, for some categories of employees of the State police the address is not available and is considered a highly sensitive data. A lack that created difficulties for the MEF in calculating the municipal surcharge on the paycheck. The SUNFISH project has shown how this problem has found a solution thanks to the integrated use of Blockchain, where through distributed cloud, digital services could be shared, without transferring data between two administrations (MEF and Ministry of the Interior) ensuring at the same time all the necessary safety rules.

A practical example that highlights how analysis and research are fundamental tools for identifying, designing and developing effective technological solutions for public service.

The MEF path continues today with the POSEIDON project, where Blockchain will be used to support a management platform to GDPR compliance, in terms of personal and sensitive data by the end-user service management. In addition to this, other initiatives are in the running to guarantee and certify the transactions addressed to the banking and insurance world.

The MEF experience shows that the use of Blockchain will continue to grow in the public administration sector, concluded Roberta Lotti. However, the main aim is to drive the development of digital services supported by a systemic view of the PA needs, able to combine effectiveness of the solutions, databases security, ease of use for citizens, pragmatism and speed in execution.