Data Spaces are decentralised ecosystems where data remains with the data owner, defines policies for data use and access for each dataset separately. The owner can decide to share specific analytics results based on the data without sharing any raw data. The data is not stored centrally, instead it can be accessed through dedicated software components called data space connectors.
“The model is similar to Google: Google doesn’t store the web page; it just shows enough information about the content, so the user can decide if it’s relevant or not,” says Markus Taumberger, Research Team Leader, Advanced data spaces at VTT.
The European data strategy, implemented through the European Data Act, aims to unify the data market, promoting data flows to increase business, research, and public service efficiency, enhancing Europe’s data economy competitiveness while standardising fair data access and usage. Current data-sharing methods rely on inefficient third-party servers, making live data sharing complicated and requiring many copies.
The International Data Spaces Association (IDSA has over 170 members) has set global standards for secure data exchange, certification, and governance.
According to VTT, they are one of the first technology organisations in the world to have their Data Space Connector receive an IDSA certificate, for which they claim the following benefits:
- Ensures low-cost, vendor-independent data ecosystems that hastens a European data strategy,
- Reduces power consumption for big data platform providers
- Helps data owners control and profit from their own data.
“VTT’s successful completion of the IDS Certification highlights their dedication to sovereign and interoperable data sharing. This achievement not only demonstrates VTT’s commitment to innovation and trust but also reinforces their position as a reliable partner in the IDS ecosystem, contributing to Finland’s leadership in this field”, says Sonia Jimenez, Director Data Space Technology at IDSA.
VTT produces benefits for IoT projects and many data-demanding sectors
VTT’s Data Space Innovation Lab in Oulu is the only connector with OPC UA compliance, a machine-to-machine communication standard used for industrial automation and manufacturing. This makes the VTT connector especially good for advanced IoT applications and data sharing from existing legacy devices, and can be used in the manufacturing, energy, and farming sectors.
“We have everything in place to co-create prototypes and run data spaces with our partners in a technology-neutral, safe environment. The certification is a crucial step for standardising data spaces and speeding up market adoption,” says Markus Taumberger from VTT.
The Potential of Data Spaces
- The greatest potential lies in industries that require extensive data utilisation and where standardisation can save costs. Data Spaces can enhance supply chain transparency, optimise production, and increase public sector efficiency by providing real-time access to necessary data.
- They also offer real-time benefits for healthcare, energy production and grid stability and management through real-time interactions between consumers and producers.
- In agriculture, they can increase precision farming yields via data from drones, smart machinery, and sensors. Collaboration within data spaces, even among competitors, is beneficial.
“Data revolution is on its way, not least due to the upcoming EU regulation. The Finnish industry has some catching up to do, as commercial data space solutions are still very rare. I would encourage Finnish players to start experimenting and utilising data spaces and the IT sector to start developing solutions for organisations. This is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss”, Markus Taumberger says.
