12 significant partners were awarded to set up and operate the Data Spaces Support Centre (DSSC), which was launched on 13 October 2022 in Brussels. Funded by the European Commission as part of the Digital Europe Program, the Data Spaces Support Centre will facilitate common data spaces in different sectors that collectively create an interoperable data-sharing environment.
The project consortium is coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering (ISST) and includes a group of leading associations and knowledge centres in the field of data spaces, with a broad membership, an extensive network, national hubs, open-source communities and data space pioneers.
What will the DSSC project do?
The DSSC project will explore the needs of data spaces initiatives and deliver a Data Spaces Blueprint, comprising common building blocks in the areas of business, legal, operational, technical, and societal aspects. With a user-centric approach, the Blueprint will continuously evolve through support activities, a platform and web portal for knowledge and asset sharing, a help desk, toolboxes, and active engagement with all stakeholders.
The DSSC will also support the Data Innovation Board in proposing guidelines for common European data spaces, such as cross-sectoral data sharing standards and requirements for security and access procedures. The project aims to enable data reuse and secondary use within and across sectors, while fully respecting EU values and contributing to the European economy and society. It will create the appropriate conditions for establishing an open data ecosystem characterized by interoperability and mutual trust between participants, enabling value to be created from data.
Within the DSSC network, the Data Space for Skills (DS4Skills) project, which kicked off on 12 October 2022, is one of the key data spaces. Together, these projects will facilitate knowledge sharing and consensus among the stakeholder community. The CCIS, a member of the DS4Skills consortium and based in Slovenia, will lead the coordination with the DSSC to ensure that appropriate skills are considered during the development of the data spaces common blueprint and toolboxes.