12 significant partners – industry players, researchers, corporates, and associations – were recently awarded to set up and operate the Data Spaces Support Centre (DSSC). The Data Spaces Support Centre will facilitate common data spaces in different sectors that collectively create an interoperable data sharing environment.

Coordinator Prof. Dr. Boris Otto, Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering (ISST), highlights: “The Data Spaces Support Centre is key for a successful implementation of the European data strategy as it provides guidance to emerging and growing data space initiatives from various sectors across Europe. Interoperability based on open standards ensures trusted exchange and sharing of data and data sovereignty within and across data spaces.”

“We are very proud to be one of the consortium members of this significant project. DSSC will coordinate and support the data spaces initiative, common requirements, best practices, as well as establish the experts dialogue, thus, fully relating to the vision on the Data Space development in Europe and beyond. We also believe that it will enable us to create a common base for interoperable data spaces and smart solutions based on data, and therefore, to achieve success on a global scale,” comments Ulrich Ahle, CEO at FIWARE Foundation.

Funded by the European Commission as part of the Digital Europe Program, the project is scheduled to set up and run the Data Spaces Support Centre. It includes a consortium of the leading associations and knowledge centres in the domain of data spaces, with a broad membership, an extensive network, national hubs, open-source communities, and data space pioneers.

The Support Centre will explore the needs of the data spaces initiatives, including common requirements, and best practices. It delivers the Data Spaces Blueprint, composed of common building blocks in business, legal, operational, technical, and societal aspects. With a user-centric approach and cooperatively with all stakeholders, the Blueprint will continuously evolve. It drives adoption through support activities, a platform and web portal for knowledge and asset sharing, a help desk, toolboxes, and active engagement with all stakeholders.

The Support Centre will support the Data Innovation Board to propose guidelines for common European data spaces, such as cross-sectoral data sharing standards, requirements for security, and access procedures.

The project will enable data reuse and secondary use within and across sectors, fully respecting EU values and contributing to the European economy and society. It will further enable and create appropriate conditions for setting up an open data ecosystem characterised by interoperability and mutual trust between participants and creating value out of data.

Speakers in the picture attending the panel discussion with the title “Converge and Accelerate” (from left to right): Lars Nagel, CEO at International Data Spaces Association (IDSA), Francesco Bonfiglio, Chief Executive Officer at GAIA-X AISBL, Ana Garcia, Secretary General at Big Data Value Association (BDVA), Ulrich Ahle, CEO at FIWARE Foundation, Antti Poikola, Co-Founder at MyData. Moderator: Mirijam Huis in ‘t Veld, Project Manager, Research Scientist at TNO.