For many automotive and manufacturing suppliers, sharing certificates is a recurring manual task. The same ISO, IATF, AEO, or CTPAT certificate is uploaded to one customer portal after another, and updated in every portal each time it changes.
Company Certificate Management in Catena-X addresses exactly this: a certificate is uploaded once and shared securely with all business partners, with auditable access. It is the entry use case of the Data Space Accelerator and a concrete way to experience what productive data exchange looks like in day-to-day operations.
What the Data Space Accelerator is
The Data Space Accelerator is a study investigating how companies move from initial readiness to productive data exchange in Catena-X. The potential of data spaces is widely recognized, while there is still limited empirical evidence on which factors explain successful onboarding and where the gaps behind slower adoption lie.
The study addresses this with a before-and-after survey design: participating companies are assessed at the start of onboarding and again after completing their first productive data exchange. This makes it possible to diagnose typical readiness gaps along the data value chain, identify company profiles and use cases with a higher likelihood of successful adoption, and derive targeted levers to accelerate onboarding. The reference data space is Catena-X, and the use cases are standardized Catena-X use cases documented in the open-source repository Tractus-X.
For participating companies, the study is designed to deliver:
- empirical evidence on the economic and organizational benefits of data sharing,
- actionable recommendations to strengthen digital readiness,
- case-based insights from multiple use cases.
What participation involves
Participation focuses on one or more concrete use cases implemented in real operations, supported by certified partners who guide companies through each step. The path follows six stages:
- Submit an offer and choose the program path.
- Review and acceptance against the tender documents.
- Select the use case (entry: Company Certificate Management).
- Guided onboarding into the Catena-X data space.
- Complete the first productive data exchange.
- Receive the milestone-based payout.
Two paths are available. The Basic Path covers Company Certificate Management. The Advanced Path adds one further Catena-X use case of the company’s choice — such as Product Carbon Footprint, Digital Product Passport, Traceability, Data Driven Quality, Demand and Capacity, Short-Term Supply (PURIS), or Circular Economy. Prior experience with data spaces is not required, and internal effort is designed to stay limited and predictable.
Remuneration based on verified results
Remuneration is milestone-based and tied to verified results: successful onboarding, implementation of the selected use case, and the first productive data exchange along that use case. The Basic Path provides €15,000 (net), and the Advanced Path adds a further €15,000 (net), up to €30,000 (net) in total. The amount reflects the milestone-based structure of the program rather than a reimbursement of a company’s actual implementation costs. For participants based outside Germany, it is recalculated using a purchasing-power index, as set out in the tender documents.
Who can take part
The study primarily addresses SMEs and Mid-Caps in automotive and adjacent industries, including machine building, that are not yet active in Catena-X. Companies of all sizes may apply, provided the program requirements are met. Eligibility extends to EU member states and to countries that have signed a Government Procurement Agreement with Germany, listed in the DSA Remuneration PPP Index.
Timeline and how to apply
All program activities and milestones are completed within 2026, and applications are open until the end of September 2026. Onboarding and the first productive data exchange need lead time, so an early start gives teams room to work through the steps with their onboarding partner.
Full details, participation requirements, and the application are available on the official program website. Questions on participation, eligibility, onboarding, remuneration, timelines, or study requirements can be directed to the program team.
Learn more and apply: data-space-accelerator.com
Contact: dsa@internationaldataspaces.org
