Data spaces enable sovereign, rule-based data exchange between organisations. The technical foundations and governance options for this are in place: standards, architectures and reference implementations have been developed. Now the task is to transfer these building blocks into application and scale them across industry and national borders. This is where the cooperation between the three organisations comes in. They are bundling competencies, networks and resources in order to bring trusted data infrastructures into widespread use – as a driver of innovation, competitiveness and digital sovereignty.

Connecting competencies, accelerating application

As an independent anchor of trust, the acatech Foundation brings in its ecosystem from business, science and politics. It also strengthens the partnership with experience from practical transfer projects such as the Mobility Data Space and its practice-oriented work in the pre-competitive sphere.

Gaia-X and IDSA contribute their international network of hubs and competence centres as well as the established technological and organisational foundations of sovereign data spaces – including the IDSA Rulebook, Manifesto for Data Spaces and Reference Architecture Model, and the Gaia-X Trust Framework. These proven building blocks are to be strengthened through the cooperation and scaled in use.
Planned activities include joint initiatives, mutual involvement in network and exchange formats, awareness and knowledge sharing campaigns, and coordinated activities to position sovereign data spaces vis-à-vis politics, business and society as an integral element for conducting the multi-faceted transformational changes we are encountering these days.

Statements on the cooperations

Manfred Rauhmeier, Board Member of the acatech Foundation: “The phase of concepts is behind us – now implementation counts. With IDSA and Gaia-X, we connect our ecosystem with the leading initiatives for trusted data spaces and bring them to where they create value: in the practice of business and society.”

Ulrich Ahle, CEO of Gaia-X AISBL: “Trusted data infrastructures are no longer a promise for the future, but ready for use. Together with the acatech Foundation, we are accelerating their application – in Germany, Europe and worldwide.”

Lars Nagel, CEO of IDSA: “We have developed the foundation for trusted and sovereign data sharing – now we need partners who bring them into wide-scale application. The cooperation with the acatech Foundation is an important step to bring data spaces into practice.”

About the partners

acatech Foundation: The acatech Foundation sees itself as an impulse generator for the responsible shaping of digital transformation. With its activities, it focuses on practice-oriented transfer projects to promote competitiveness and accelerate innovation in Germany.

Gaia-X European Association for Data and Cloud AISBL: Gaia-X AISBL is an international non-profit organisation based in Brussels. It develops the Gaia-X Trust Framework as a basis for trusted, sovereign data infrastructures and promotes their dissemination through an international network of national Gaia-X Hubs.

International Data Spaces Association (IDSA): IDSA is a non-profit association with more than 180 members from companies, organisations and research institutions in 33 countries. It has developed over the last 10 years the technical and governance foundations for global data spaces, including the IDS Reference Architecture, the IDSA Rulebook and international standards

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The collaboration will focus on aligning Tractus-X with core IDSA assets. These include the IDS Reference Architecture Model, governance frameworks, standards and protocols. Both organizations will support the evolution and implementation of essential data space standards such as DSP and DCP, along with data space components including connectors, data planes and digital twins. The partnership also extends to industry-specific KITs, with the goal of ensuring interoperability across industries and ecosystems.

The cooperation spans several strategic areas.

• Architecture and standards harmonization
• Governance, certification and security-by-design approaches
• Community building through workshops, hackathons and enablement activities
• Open-source infrastructure and development environments
• International scaling of data spaces and stronger collaboration across global initiatives

ARENA2036 and IDSA also intend to unlock synergies between Tractus-X, Manufacturing-X, the Data Spaces Support Centre (DSSC) and other European initiatives. The aim is to accelerate trusted data sharing and digital sovereignty at scale.

Trusted and interoperable data exchange forms the foundation for connected value chains, industrial AI and digital ecosystems. By combining their strengths, ARENA2036 and IDSA are taking a further step toward building a globally connected data economy.

Both organizations thanked everyone involved in the partnership and expressed confidence that the shared ambitions will translate into tangible results.

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Participating companies receive structured onboarding into the Catena-X data space, with optional support from certified onboarding and service partners. No prior experience with data spaces is required. Remuneration is linked to two verified milestones: up to €15,000 for successful onboarding and productive implementation of Certificate Management, and up to an additional €15,000 for implementation of a second predefined Catena-X use case. In both cases, participating companies are required to take part in the accompanying survey.

Applications and full implementation must be completed within the year 2026.

SMEs form the backbone of the automotive supply chain. Their integration into data spaces is essential to achieve the critical mass required for a fully connected global network. Many SMEs still lack access to data spaces or the resources needed to invest in advanced digital solutions. At the same time, awareness of the potential of data spaces remains limited.

Without broad participation, key network effects cannot materialize

The Data Space Accelerator directly addresses this gap by supporting companies across the supply chain in digitizing their operations based on Catena-X standards—aligned with customer requirements and regulatory frameworks.

If Catena-X only works for OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers, it does not work for the industry as a whole. The ecosystem is already demonstrating its value, but the automotive value chain is built on SMEs. Without their participation, we cannot realize the industry-wide data collaboration that will benefit every level of the value chain. The Data Space Accelerator makes it easier and faster for them to get started, while addressing cost concerns by linking remuneration directly to results: real data exchange with real partners and real business value. This is not a pilot—it is a structured pathway into productive participation in the data space.

Hanno Focken, Managing Director Activation, Governance and Operations at Catena-X

The program addresses one of the most pressing structural challenges in the automotive industry. Seamless and trusted data exchange across the entire value chain is becoming essential—not only for regulatory compliance and supply chain resilience, but also for competitiveness. Data spaces enable companies to share data securely and sovereignly, forming a key building block for a resilient, AI-enabled, and sovereign European data economy.

Eight of the world’s ten largest automotive suppliers are already exchanging data via the Catena-X ecosystem, and leading OEMs are increasingly mandating participation in new supplier contracts. However, maximum efficiency and value can only be achieved when all tiers of the supply chain participate. Many SMEs—representing the majority of companies in the supply chain—continue to face barriers to entry, including limited resources, varying levels of digital maturity, high perceived upfront investments, and uncertainty about return on investment.

The Data Space Accelerator is designed to change this. Rather than subsidizing costs, the program rewards concrete results. Remuneration—up to €15,000 or up to €30,000 depending on the level of integration—is released once companies demonstrate verified productive data exchange with at least one supply chain partner. This makes it a practical entry point into the data space rather than a theoretical exercise.

How the program works

Certificate Management has been selected as the primary use case because it replaces the inefficient and repetitive process in which suppliers upload the same compliance certificates—such as ISO 9001 or IATF 16949—to multiple different customer portals.

Through Catena-X, certificates are uploaded once via a standardized interface, automatically shared with all relevant partners, and updated upon renewal. This significantly reduces administrative effort for SMEs while providing customers with a reliable, real-time view of compliance status.

Additional use cases address some of the industry’s most pressing operational and regulatory challenges: Product Carbon Footprint, Digital Product Passport, traceability, quality management, demand and capacity management, short-term supply management, and circular economy.

Companies are free to choose their implementation approach.

Proven results across the ecosystem

The use cases available through the Data Space Accelerator are already delivering measurable results for companies active in the Catena-X ecosystem. For SMEs in particular, shared Catena-X standards have reduced the effort required for due diligence reporting by a factor of 100— transforming a substantial administrative burden into a manageable and repeatable process.

In sustainability, a mid-sized supplier reports that PCF calculations can be performed three to five times more efficiently than with manual methods, saving more than €10,000 per calculation. In quality management, a leading OEM and its Tier-1 suppliers report detecting errors an average of four months earlier through standardised data exchange. In one case, an investigation into a critical electrical component—previously requiring inspection of 1.4 million vehicles—was narrowed down to just 14, highlighting the significant cost-saving potential of end-to-end data flows.

These results demonstrate that the business value of participation in the Catena-X ecosystem is tangible and can be realised in the short term. The Data Space Accelerator is specifically designed to help SMEs unlock this potential. This is supported by an Accenture study showing that 67% of companies expect new collaboration opportunities through data spaces, 54% anticipate new revenue potential, and 50% expect reduced costs and risks.

Part of a broader initiative

The Data Space Accelerator is part of the German government’s Manufacturing-X framework for scaling industrial data ecosystems. While the initial focus is on the automotive sector through Catena-X, the study is intended to generate transferable insights for data space initiatives in other industries, including chemicals and semiconductors.

Until now, the value of industrial data spaces has largely been based on theoretical models and isolated pilot projects. The Data Space Accelerator marks a fundamental shift in this approach—one that IDSA has been working towards for over ten years through its reference architecture. By integrating large numbers of Tier-n suppliers into the Catena-X ecosystem, it will generate robust empirical evidence of how network effects, data maturity and economic value interact in open data spaces. These insights will be directly transferable to data spaces in other industries now following Catena-X.

Lars Nagel, CEO of the International Data Spaces Association

Get involved

The Data Space Accelerator is open to automotive companies, particularly European SMEs looking to take their first step into the Catena-X data space. Companies can register now to participate in the study.

More information and registration: www.data-space-accelerator.com

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Trusted data spaces are increasingly relevant for industries operating across complex value chains. Many SMEs still face financial, technical, and organisational hurdles that make participation difficult. In sectors such as automotive – where the vast majority of suppliers are small companies – these challenges limit broader adoption.

To tackle this, DSAF members have developed an open‑source, multi‑tenant onboarding approach built on the Eclipse Dataspaces Components. The solution introduces:

• EDC‑V, an optimised variant of the Eclipse Dataspace Component architecture for cloud environments
• Connector Fabric Manager (CFM), enabling automated deployment and lifecycle management
• JAD, a demonstrator assembling all components for cloud providers offering customised services

This toolbox supports large‑scale onboarding and reduces entry costs for SMEs. Integration with OPC UA further strengthens its applicability for manufacturing use cases.

A recent pilot with Catena‑X illustrates the potential for real‑world adoption and demonstrates that the model can be applied across multiple data spaces simultaneously. SMEs gain streamlined access, while managed service and cloud providers can expand their service offerings.

DSAF as an IDSA Working Group

The Data Space Adoption Forum operates as a Working Group within the International Data Spaces Association. Participation in this group is open to IDSA members, creating a structured environment where organisations can collaborate closely, shape practical onboarding pathways, and contribute their expertise.

For companies interested in advancing trusted data sharing, joining IDSA offers a direct opportunity to take part in the Working Group and influence the next stages of data space adoption.

As one of the organisations collaborating in DSAF, IDSA supports the shared effort to expand secure, sovereign data exchange and make participation accessible for companies of all sizes. The initiative reflects the commitment of many actors across the ecosystem to strengthen adoption and create scalable, practical approaches for data‑space participation.

Organisations wishing to explore cooperation or test the new onboarding model are invited to connect with DSAF.

Read the full press release here.

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Prof. Liu Dong joins the board with a background in internet engineering and research. He is Director of the China Future Internet Engineering Center and has been internationally recognized for his long-term work on internet development, including IPv6. IPv6 is the current internet protocol that expands the number of available network addresses and supports large-scale connectivity. This topic is relevant for data sharing initiatives that rely on stable and scalable network infrastructure. Prof. Liu Dong was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to the development of the global internet.

Dr. David Sonnenberg represents SICK AG on the IDSA Board. He succeeds Niels Syassen, who previously held this position. At SICK AG, Dr. Sonnenberg works in the field of digitalization. His role focuses on enabling digital technologies within an industrial context, linking operational environments with data-driven approaches. This experience connects to IDSA’s work on data sharing between organizations, particularly in industrial and manufacturing settings.

With these appointments, IDSA strengthens its board with perspectives from internet infrastructure research and industrial practice. Both backgrounds support IDSA’s ongoing work on frameworks and standards that enable data sharing across organizations and regions.

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The step is significant because it places DSP and DCP in a well-established pathway used for technologies that have already reached a high level of consensus and technical stability before entering the ISO system. It is not an approval, and it does not change the status of the specifications today. What it does provide is a clear route toward international standardization, with ISO/IEC experts now able to evaluate the work directly.

The Dataspace Protocol was first developed within the International Data Spaces Association. In 2023, IDSA contributed the protocol to the Eclipse Foundation to place its further development in an open, vendor-neutral environment and to enable broader international participation. IDSA is a founding member of the Eclipse Dataspace Working Group and continues to support the protocol’s evolution. Since the handover, DSP has advanced within this open governance model with contributions from a growing range of industry stakeholders.

For organizations building or operating data spaces, the PAS process matters for three practical reasons. First, it increases clarity for procurement and integration by giving governments and enterprises a recognized reference point. Second, it strengthens the interoperability landscape by linking DSP to the established ISO/IEC ecosystem of IT standards. Third, it supports long-term stability: a future ISO/IEC standard would reduce ambiguity for implementers and lower the risk of fragmentation across regions.

IDSA welcomes this milestone. It validates the path taken over the past years – develop the concept, move it into a global open-source governance model, and support its evolution through collaboration. IDSA will continue contributing expertise through the Eclipse community and will keep the User Group updated as the ISO/IEC evaluation progresses.

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The earlier series, published between November 2022 and September 2024, provided broad insights into what connectors are and how they differ. Over 16 editions, it compared technical approaches and implementations across the market. That phase helped define the landscape. Now, the landscape has changed.

A new phase for connector development

The new Data Space Connector Report narrows its scope. Only data space connectors that demonstrate verified DSP compliance are included. The TCK, developed under the Eclipse Foundation, runs more than 140 automated checks to ensure each connector adheres to the protocol. This verification replaces self-declared compatibility with proven interoperability.

IDSA positions the publication as a single, trusted source of information on connectors that both support the Dataspace Protocol and have successfully passed TCK testing.

Setting a common technical ground

The Dataspace Protocol reached stable release in March 2024 and has already advanced to version 2025-1, remaining on track for ISO submission. Its progress signals that the time for experimentation is giving way to practical, interoperable solutions.

For organizations building or joining data spaces, this development reduces uncertainty. Instead of comparing incompatible models, they can now evaluate proven, standards-based connectors on functionality, scalability, and vendor support.

A market aligning around shared standards

The renewed report also mirrors a larger industry movement. Data space projects are aligning around shared technical foundations rather than competing implementations. Common standards make collaboration easier, and help participants focus on real-world use cases.

By setting a clear benchmark for compliance, the report helps the community focus on what matters most: building reliable, interoperable infrastructures that turn the idea of data spaces into a working reality.

Read the Data Space Connector Report:

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The European Standardization Organization has accepted the Standardization Request. The mandate lays out a structured path, with specific roles and timelines. Key topics are assigned to relevant technical committees:

• Trusted Data Transactions (Parts 1–3) will be handled by CEN/CENELEC JTC 25
• Data catalogues and semantic asset frameworks go to ETSI TC Data
• Maturity assessments and internal data governance also sit with JTC 25

This distribution follows a work plan that’s familiar to most stakeholders. What’s new is its official status – complete with item numbers, deadlines, and clear expectations.

The deliverables vary in scope. Some will become harmonized European standards – critical tools for legal compliance under the EU’s New Legislative Framework. Others, such as technical specifications, offer important guidance to data space participants.

The work on the standardization of deliverables was already ongoing when the mandate became official. That might sound rushed, but it wasn’t. Most of the content had already been drafted in anticipation. Everyone knew this moment was coming – and prepared accordingly.

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Dr. Yan Liu from the China Future Internet Engineering Center (CFIEC) and Harm Jan Arendshorst from iLabs Technologies in the Netherlands will co-lead the Working Group Certification. Both are longtime contributors in fields such as cybersecurity, interoperability testing, and certification infrastructure. Their appointment reflects a key shift: certification is no longer just a technical milestone; it’s a foundation for trusted digital cooperation.

Dr. Yan Liu has been involved in the topic of data spaces since 2019, currently leading the CFIEC technical team and co-chairing the IPv6 Ready Logo International Certification Committee. With a background in protocol design and cybersecurity innovation, he aims to align China’s needs with IDS Certification. His focus is on strengthening the global relevance of IDSA’s work and building bridges across technical and regulatory contexts.

Harm Jan Arendshorst has spent his career in digital identity, AI, and IoT security. In his position as Director at iLabs Technologies, he’s led projects with organizations like NIST, OpenID Foundation and the World Bank. His goals include expanding the reach of IDS Certification, organizing plugfests and interoperability testbeds, and integrating feedback from industry and research to continuously improve the certification process.

Certification in data spaces is not just a checkbox. It defines the trust architecture that underpins data space deployments. With leadership spanning Europe and Asia, the working group is better positioned to understand and address global requirements. The co-chairs plan to collaborate closely with the community. Immediate steps include reviewing the current certification criteria, strengthening industry connections, and scaling test infrastructure for IDS solutions.

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Several key components have now reached the final review stage:

• Dataspace Protocol Specification: This document sets out the rules and message formats that allow systems to communicate and exchange data securely.
• DSP Technology Compatibility Kit: Designed to help developers verify whether their software correctly implements the protocol.
• Decentralized Claims Protocol (DCP) and Test Kit (both at Release Candidate 4): Adds functionality for sharing trusted claims or credentials alongside the data.

The new releases represent a significant step toward standardized, open, and interoperable data sharing. With these tools, organizations can validate that their systems are compatible with others, making real-world deployment of data spaces more feasible.

Successful tests have already been completed by both the Eclipse Dataspace Connector (EDC) and the TNO-developed connector, demonstrating that multiple independent implementations can interoperate effectively.

Before the specifications can be officially published, the Eclipse Foundation will conduct a final review to ensure all technical and legal aspects are in place, including intellectual property and licensing.

Following this final check, the Eclipse Dataspace Working Group Specification Committee will vote on the release. If approved, the specifications will be officially published, providing the data spaces community with a stable foundation for implementation and adoption.

IDSA remains committed to supporting the rollout of these new standards and facilitating their adoption across the ecosystem.

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