Digital student IDs make headway in Ireland and U.S.

Digital student ID systems continue to gain popularity across universities.

Ireland’s University of Limerick and the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) have renewed their contract with security printing and identity management firm Smurfit Westrock Security Concepts (SWSC).

SWSC produces personalized and chip-enabled ID cards for students that support facial recognition applications for identity confirmation and access management. Aside from universities, the company’s clients include Irish government agencies, Irish state-owned postal service An Post, the Irish Companies Registration Office and more.

The firm has been working with ATU since 2020, according to Professional Security Magazine.

“As the leading provider of personalised plastic cards in the Irish market we also produce many of the highly secure ID cards used by Irish citizens to interact with Government,” says Peter Thomas, managing director at SWSC. “In recent times, we have successfully developed these solutions for universities and other professional bodies and are delighted to continue to build our presence in these important markets.”

SWSC is part of the Smurfit Kappa Group, a Dublin-headquartered conglomerate focused on paper-based packaging. The company also announced it will be attending this year’s ID4Africa 2025 annual general meeting, taking place from May 20th to May 23rd in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Digital student IDs are also becoming popular across the Atlantic.

The State Fair Community College (SFCC) in Missouri, U.S., has been relying on a campus app made by TouchNet, which allows students to store their IDs on their phone through the card credential management system OneCard.

The Kansas-based company specializes in providing credentials solutions in the higher education sector. Aside from SFCC, it has also been working with institutions such as Sheridan College and the University of Alberta in Canada.

TouchNet’s 360u app also helps students access campus services and resources. Users can scan a barcode on the app to make payments at vendors on campus, use meal plans and participate in student activities, Campus ID news reports.

“It helps us track students’ participation to evaluate the success of our events, and it also helps us make informed decisions about what is working and what is not,” says Brent Bates, SFCC president.

Campus workers can also use OneCard data to gain insight into potentially struggling students, for example, by examining their transactions.

Article Topics

digital ID  |  identity document  |  identity management  |  Smurfit Westrock Security Concepts (SWSC)  |  student ID  |  TouchNet