In a significant step towards strengthening a trusted data sharing ecosystem where the data rights holder is in control, the International Data Spaces Association (IDSA) and iSHARE Foundation (iSHARE) formalized their commitment by signing a Memorandum of Understanding at the Data Sharing Festival.
Respective CEOs Gerard van der Hoeven (iSHARE) and Lars Nagel (IDSA) affirmed their dedication to collaboration by signing the MoU, reflecting a mutual commitment to complement each other’s roles in advancing data spaces activities and sovereign data sharing.
Complementary Role Descriptions and Collaboration Structure
The agreement defines clear roles for both organizations, emphasizing IDSA’s focus on the technical foundation for data spaces (IDSA Rulebook, IDS Reference Architecture Model, Dataspace Protocol, IDS Certification) and iSHAREs dedication to the Trust Framework, Trust Protocol and Governance Components.
Specifically the iSHARE Trust Framework assures that data owners (Data Rights Holders) gain distributed and trusted control of their data through the iSHARE Autorisation Registry role, and trust assurance and interoperability through the iSHARE Satellite being Participant Registry and issuer of trust credentials for certification levels and legal coverage.
IDSA’s architectural framework makes sure that data spaces operate seamlessly. The Dataspace Protocol is integral to the technical implementation of each data space component, guaranteeing interoperability among participants. The IDSA Rulebook serves as a guide for achieving organizational interoperability within data spaces, and IDS Certification plays a central role in realizing trust in the data economy.
The strategic alignment between iSHARE and IDSA ensures compatibility and extends functionality, providing a foundation for operations, governance, and testing components in data spaces. It represents a significant leap forward for the data spaces community.
Continued Building of a Framework of Trust and Next Steps
Referencing the 2022 joint efforts, this collaboration solidifies a framework of trust for data spaces, combining IDSA’s rulebook and reference architecture with iSHARE’s Trust Framework and Trust Protocol to ensure autonomy within trust principles, legal certainty, and technical control for participants.
IDSA’s and iSHARE’s continuous collaborative efforts have already resulted in co-founding the Eclipse Dataspace Working Group in 2023. The aim is to accelerate the development of an expanding open-source ecosystem for data spaces. The focal point of this endeavor is to deliver universally accepted standards and enterprise-ready software components, propelling the establishment of data spaces for sovereign data sharing.
- With this collaboration; the users of both frameworks can expect the following results over the coming months:
- Clear communication in the respective working groups in IDSA, iSHARE and Eclipse Dataspaces Working Group.
- Joint definition of the components and protocols for data spaces (including the Dataspace Protocol and trust protocol).
- Alignment of the iSHARE service provider role specifications and IDSCertification scheme, thereby Combining certification for both iSHARE and IDSA certification/compliance.
- Addition of the Authorisation Registry role that empowers data owners into the IDSA Reference Architecture.
- Referencing the groundwork of both organizations in the respective documents to have a clear conceptual alignment.
- Active collaboration on key projects, such as BDI, i4Trust, Catena-X , Manufacturing-X, Factory-X and many others.
- Joint marketing initiatives, including showcase of iSHARE data spaces in the Data Spaces Radar.
- Mutual representation in the bodies of the respective organisation.
This MoU marks a significant milestone in the partnership between iSHARE and IDSA, paving the way for enhanced cooperation and innovation in the evolving landscape of data sharing. In this regard, both CEOs comment:
“As we reinforce our collaboration, aligning the IDSA dataspace framework with the iSHARE Trust Framework, we’re fostering global standards for sovereign data sharing. This alignment ensures interoperability and a solid foundation for operations and governance in data spaces. It’s a giant leap forward, offering a reliable cornerstone and an important accelerator for the entire data spaces community to innovate upon.”
Lars Nagel, International Data Spaces Association
“The iSHARE Foundation has consistently aimed to empower data rights owners with unified and trusted control over their data across ecosystems. By ensuring a clear separation of concerns, data rights holders can rely on third-party validated credentials for legal coverage and assurance with every data exchange. These detailed specifications not only foster trust interoperability but also enhance assurance through an expanding network.”
Gerard van der Hoeven, iSHARE Foundation
