Widening the scope: the anatomy of the Data Spaces Radar
The Data Spaces Radar is the home for all data space endeavors. It is a publicly accessible tool designed to offer a panoramic view of various data space initiatives worldwide. It provides insights into these initiatives' sectors, locations, and development stages, as well as use cases which are enabled by a data space.
In the past years since International Data Spaces Association (IDSA) started the initiative, the Data Spaces Radar recorded over 140 entries. To extend its relevance and amplify its benefits for industry the tool is now hosted and maintained by International Data Spaces Association with additional showcase contributions of the Data Spaces Support Center (DSSC) project community.
The DSSC is a cornerstone of the European Union’s Digital Europe program (DIGITAL), dedicated to coordinating all relevant actions on EU-funded data spaces to ensure that they develop in a coherent way, are interoperable and benefit from economies of scale through the use of common practices, components and tools.
What are data spaces?
A data space is a distributed system defined by a governance framework that enables secure and trustworthy data sharing between participants while supporting trust and data sovereignty. A data space is implemented by one or more infrastructures and enables one or more use cases.
What are use cases?
A use case is a specific scenario or situation that describes how data sharing is utilised to achieve a particular goal or outcome.
How is the development of a data space assessed?
Data spaces can be categorised according to several maturity factors that help locate them against a reference set of development stages researched by DSSC.
Development Stages
1. Exploratory stage:
This is the stage in which a data space initiative starts. Typically, in this stage, a group of organizations start to explore the interest, potential and viability of a data space. The exploratory activities may include, among others: identifying and attracting interested stakeholders, collecting requirements, discussing use cases, or reviewing existing conventions or standards.
2. Preparatory stage:
This development stage starts when a data space initiative has a critical mass of committed partners, and there is an agreement to move forward with the initiative and proceed towards creating a data space. It is typical for this stage that such partners jointly develop use cases and prepare to implement the data space.
3. Implementation stage:
This development stage starts when a data space initiative has a sufficiently detailed project plan, milestones, and resources (funding and other) for developing its governance framework and infrastructure in the context of a data space pilot. It is typical for this stage that the parties involved in the pilot and the value created for each are also clearly identified.
4. Operational stage:
This development stage starts when a data space initiative has a tested implementation of infrastructure(s) and governance framework, and the first use case becomes operational (data flowing between data providers and data recipients and use case providing the intended value). Typically, in this stage, changes occur, both in the governance framework and the technical implementation of the data space.
5. Scaling stage:
This development stage starts when a data space initiative has proven to gain new participants and embrace new use cases consistently and organically. In this stage, the data space can realistically be expected to be financially and operationally sustainable and respond to market changes and grow over time.
Data Spaces Radar Report
The report provides valuable insights into best practices and use cases that are driving the adoption and implementation of data spaces. With its in-depth research and expert perspectives, the Data Spaces Radar Report serves as a valuable resource for organizations looking to navigate the data spaces ecosystem and unlock the full potential of their data.
Enjoy using the Data Spaces Radar
Please start exploring the radar by clicking on radar in the top right navigation bar. This is a very powerful and fun tool. It is designed to be self-explanatory. So go ahead and explore. If you have any questions regarding the radar or submitting your own data space please refer to the FAQ section or contact us via the form.
