Berlin, February 28, 2020 – FIWARE Foundation, the non-profit organization that encourages the adoption of standards and open source technologies for the development of smart solutions on a global basis, proudly joins forces with Data Trading Alliance (DTA). As both organizations have a shared interest in driving the rise of sustainable smart solutions worldwide, FIWARE and DTA have started intensive exchanges of objectives and developments with regards to technologies for data exchange, data catalogues and data marketplaces. Most importantly, the cooperation focuses on a mutual sharing of relevant knowledge of technologies based on open standards – implemented as open source – that can provide the basis for the development of sustainable smart solutions.

Furthermore, as strategic partners, DTA and FIWARE plan to set out joint initiatives to promote data sharing and call for the implementation of international standards, using open source technologies. An important element of data infrastructures worldwide, it is the common standards that are at the heart of platforms and digital infrastructures, enabling interoperability and portability of solutions. When competing in the open source market, entrepreneurs can clearly benefit from knowing that their solutions can be connected with other applications or pieces of software already developed and widely available, or that they can replicate them for multiple customers with low adaptation costs.

That ability of co-existence and interconnection is what interoperability is all about. By being able to publish and use data in a standardized way, technology users and providers drive new business models, create open ecosystems and help public administrations to deliver more effective public services and hence, boost citizens’ living standards.

Long-term Aspirations

In addition, both organizations have reassured their commitment to exploring opportunities in relation to data economy, promoting their respective activities worldwide and identifying avenues for project financing and implementation in different sectors around the world, as well as jointly organizing sessions to serve as matchmaking platforms between the public and private sector. Such activities promote private-public-partnerships and are essential to support the development of sustainable business ecosystems.

For Ulrich Ahle, FIWARE Foundation CEO, having a strong partner ecosystem means adding further value to the services provided to FIWARE members, not only by helping them deliver innovative solutions but also guiding them on their vision and goals.

“Technologies such as edge computing, robot integration, artificial intelligence, blockchain (to name but a few) are becoming key driving forces in societal transformation and the FIWARE Community has been striving to cater for this revolution. Hence, adding DTA to the FIWARE Community’s efforts further mirrors our acute commitment to this new level of innovation. The Japan-based organization believes that the distribution of data and materialization of a data-driven society are vital in supporting the activation of the Japanese industry, thereby strengthening the country’s international competitiveness. Hence, we can only see positive synergies with DTA.”

For Hiroshi Mano, DTA’s Secretary General, this cooperation has the potential to improve the value of data-driven ecosystems across many sectors.

“The next large-scale transformation, leading to a human-centric society based on a system that highly integrates cyberspace and physical space has been termed Society 5.0 in Japan. Data sharing, augmented by algorithmic decision-making, artificial intelligence and information technology, is a fundamental building block toward achieving this vision. Innovative services will be created by data generated by smart applications in multiple sectors through free and fair trading mechanisms. The Open Source platform components provided by FIWARE definitely accelerate data transactions.”

About FIWARE Foundation

Founded in 2016 by Atos, Engineering, Orange and Telefónica, FIWARE Foundation is, together with its members and partners, driving the definition and open source implementation of key open de-facto standards that enable the development of portable and interoperable smart solutions in a faster, easier and affordable way, avoiding vendor lock-in scenarios, whilst also nourishing a sustainable and innovation-driven business ecosystem. The Foundation does that with the support of a fast-growing global Community that shares a common vision and combines their efforts towards making FIWARE the open source technology of choice for industries, governments, universities and associations to reach their full potential and scale up their activities to enter new markets and grow their businesses.

About Data Trading Alliance

Founded in Japan in 2017 to promote cooperation among data distribution companies and related business entities, DTA is a private organization with over 140 members operating in diverse industries. A leading alliance of data-driven society, DTA aims to set up technical and systematic environments, so that users can easily collect and use the data they need. In order to deliver its vision, DTA has a Technology Standards Committee, an Operation Standards Committee, and a Data Utilization Committee in place.

Press Contacts

For FIWARE Foundation
Val De Oliveira: valdirene.deoliveira@fiware.org

For Data Trading Alliance
Hiroshi Mano: h.mano@data-trading.org

For further information, please visit: fiware.org.