Kiwa eLicense: digital certification for the maritime sector
Issuing and managing physical certificates in the maritime sector is a relatively vulnerable and time-consuming process. Kiwa offers a digital solution with Kiwa eLicense, allowing licenses and certificates to be securely managed and verified on the holder’s smartphone. A project with maritime software provider UTS and a pilot with the Dutch inspectorate for the environment and transport (ILT) demonstrate the many benefits of digital certification.
Certification is essential in the maritime sector. From competency certificates to professional and training qualifications, ensuring the right knowledge and skills is crucial for safety, compliance and professionalism. Until now, much certification has been done through physical documents: paper or plastic cards that are vulnerable to loss, damage or fraud. Issuing, updating and verifying these documents also requires considerable time and resources.
Practical applications
Digital certification provides a solution. A concrete example is the implementation of Kiwa eLicense at United Training Services (UTS). Their platform manages and digitizes maritime training certificates from various institutes (which were previously issued in different ways) in a single environment. In this setup, Kiwa eLicense is responsible only for the platform’s technology: UTS retains full control over the management and content of the certificates. Additionally, Kiwa, together with the Dutch inspectorate for the environment and transport (ILT), has conducted two pilots exploring the use of digital competency certificates for seafarers.
Safe and reliable
Kiwa eLicense is based on international standards such as ISO 18013‑5, meaning that digital certificates are secure, reliable and internationally verifiable. The issuing organization remains the owner and responsible party for the certificates, while Kiwa eLicense provides the technical infrastructure and support. With the digital approach updates are visible immediately, certificates can be easily revoked or renewed and the risk of fraud is greatly reduced. Certificates are directly available on the holder’s smartphone via the Kiwa eWallet app. Users can easily show their certificate with a QR code, which can be scanned by enforcement officers or other authorized parties for verification.
Sustainability
The advantages of digital certification are clear: lower administrative burdens and costs for organizations, constant access to certificates for users and real-time verification for enforcers. Digital certification also contributes to sustainability by reducing paper and plastic use, while increasing the reliability and security of certificates. Kiwa eLicense thus offers a future-proof solution for the maritime sector and beyond. From professional licenses to training certificates, digital certification makes issuance, management, and enforcement simpler, safer and more efficient.
