We spoke with Iva Krasteva, Senior Researcher, and Sylvia Ilieva, Director of GATE, about the motivations behind the certification, the process involved, and what it means for the future of data spaces.
What motivated you to pursue IDS Certification for the GATE Dataspace Connector?
Sylvia Ilieva: Our goal at GATE is to build an ecosystem that leverages advanced Big Data and AI technologies to drive research, foster innovation, enhance public administration efficiency, boost industry competitiveness, and improve the quality of life for citizens. The concept of data spaces aligns perfectly with these objectives. Achieving IDS Certification for our connector is a crucial step in building trust and increasing the visibility of our institute, not only on a national level but across the EU as well.
How does IDS Certification fit into your broader approach to data sovereignty, compliance, and innovation in the digital economy?
Iva Krasteva: We see data spaces as key drivers of the future data economy. As an IDSA hub, we aim to accelerate the regional adoption of data spaces, addressing both business and technological aspects. IDS Certification for our connector proves its technological maturity and compliance with industry standards. It also provides a testing environment for experimentation and innovative use cases.
What are the specific benefits of IDS Certification?
Sylvia Ilieva: By offering an IDS-certified connector, we hope to attract enthusiasts, contributors, and participants to the Bulgarian Urban Data Space initiative and various EU projects we’re involved in, like VELES and deployEMDS. Meeting the certification criteria ensures trustworthy data sharing while complying with established industry standards.
Why did you decide to go with the Assurance Level 1 certification?
Iva Krasteva: We’re taking an iterative and incremental approach to implementing data spaces. We started several years ago by deploying the IDS testbed to familiarize ourselves with the concepts. This led to the launch of Bulgaria’s first Urban Data Space, where we began a few pilot use cases. Alongside this, we developed a fully functional data space environment based on the current IDS Reference Architecture Model. Our focus now is on building trust and expanding the ecosystem of organizations involved in our data space initiatives. IDS certification is a key part of that strategy. Assurance Level 1 certification meets the needs of our ongoing business scenarios, offering a quick win in terms of time and helping us move forward efficiently.
How does the self-preparation aspect of the Level 1 certification empower organizations, especially smaller companies, to take part in IDS without being overwhelmed by complex processes?
Iva Krasteva: The self-assessment approach of Level 1 Certification was beneficial in two ways. First, the process was straightforward, with clear requirements and steps. The questions provided the necessary criteria and guided us in making the required enhancements to the connector implementation. Second, the timeframe from submitting the questionnaire to receiving review feedback and acceptance notification was under two months, which is an excellent turnaround time.
How does the IDS Reference Testbed play a role in the process?
Sylvia Ilieva: Successfully running the automated test suite available in the IDS Reference Testbed early in our development process gave us the confidence to proceed with certification. We see this as the first crucial milestone on the path to certification. In fact, the test execution log is a required component of the Level 1 Certification.
Can you provide details on the certification process and what criteria the connector had to meet to achieve IDS Certification?
Iva Krasteva: The certification process for Assurance Level 1 was straightforward. We began by applying directly through the IDSA website, which initiated the certification process. After our application was accepted and the administrative details were settled, we received clear instructions and a manual for conducting the self-assessment. The entire process was highly automated and swift. After submitting our results, we received review feedback requesting a few clarifications and amendments. Shortly after providing the necessary responses, we received confirmation that the certificate had been granted.
The certification criteria covered a broad spectrum of areas, including IDS-specific requirements to ensure conformity with the current IDS Reference Architecture Model, security requirements aligned with widely recognized standards such as ISO 27001 and IEC 62443, and best practice guidelines for secure software development.
Some of the requirements were challenging but certainly achievable. We’re grateful to the IDSA team for their support throughout the process and to our colleagues at VTT for their valuable suggestions on meeting some of the certification requirements.
How does IDS Certification impact the market positioning of this connector, and what competitive advantages does it offer to users and developers?
Sylvia Ilieva: At this stage, our primary goal is to foster trust in the data space concept and encourage its adoption across various application domains. By using our IDS-certified connector, users and developers can experience trustworthy and sovereign data sharing firsthand, grounded in current international standards and technologies. This experience is further enriched by the connector’s graphical interface, which provides convenient access to essential data space services, including metadata provisioning and discoverability, transaction logging, and the management of usage policies and agreements.
Are there practical applications of this IDS-certified connector? Can you share examples where it has been successfully implemented?
Iva Krasteva: Yes, we’ve implemented several pilot use cases within our Urban Data Space, including air quality prediction and planning of social infrastructure. These use cases involve data sharing between organizations across both the public and private sectors and the deployment of data apps to run predictive algorithms.
What future developments or updates are planned for the connector, especially in relation to maintaining compliance with evolving IDS standards?
Sylvia Ilieva: We’re committed to staying updated with the latest developments and standards, and we’ll continue to evolve our connector accordingly. We’ll also keep learning from the expertise and experience of leading organizations in the ecosystem, like VTT, TNO, and others, who have been invaluable supporters and friends.
| The reliability and interoperability of a data space connector are instrumental to the seamless onboarding and successful participation in a data space. Since 2022, IDSA has been operating the IDS Certification Scheme aimed at certifying the interoperability, compatibility, and trustworthiness of data space connectors. With the completion of standardization of the Dataspace Protocol, the IDS Certification Scheme will evolve to assess interoperability modules based on automated testing. By enabling adopters to choose from a series of certified data space connectors, we will ensure that their efforts are focused only where they are needed: on identifying the best use cases for data sharing that support their objectives and entrepreneurship. |
