The next generation of the IDS Reference Architecture Model takes a more practical turn. Data spaces are no longer conceptual exercises. They operate across industries, involve multiple providers, and rely on emerging specifications for interoperability, identity, semantics, and observability. To support these realities, RAM 5 introduces a new architectural approach: modular, capability‑based, and aligned with the evolving standards landscape.
Unlike RAM 4, which presents a single comprehensive reference across layered viewpoints, RAM 5 is structured as a set of complementary pieces. This structure reflects how real data spaces are built: From interacting components, governance requirements, and technical specifications that evolve at different speeds.
RAM 5 therefore does not aim to be one large, static document. Instead, it brings together a core architecture with topic‑specific papers on identity and credentials, semantic interoperability, and observability. This modularity ensures that the model can evolve incrementally and incorporate new insights without requiring a full revision cycle.
A core architecture built on capabilities
RAM 5 shifts the perspective from abstract layers to concrete capabilities. It maps key concepts such as data usage control, identity and claims, interoperability specifications, and observability into logical components and architectural patterns.
These capabilities form the backbone of RAM 5. They include:
- Data Discovery
- Contract negotiation
- Policy enforcement
- Credentials and claims
- Data transfer
- Observability
Each capability is described from a technical perspective, linked to the governance concepts in the IDSA Rulebook, and connected to specifications such as the Dataspace Protocol (DSP) and the Decentralized Claims Protocol (DCP). The goal is to translate IDSA’s principles into something developers and architects can work with directly.
Architectural patterns instead of a single blueprint
Another major change is the explicit recognition that there is no single architecture suitable for all data spaces. RAM 4 implicitly assumed a federated approach. RAM 5 instead presents a catalogue of patterns – centralized, federated, and decentralized – and examines the trade‑offs of each.
This allows data space operators to choose designs that fit their governance and operational requirements while remaining interoperable with the broader ecosystem. Rather than prescribing one model, RAM 5 provides a structured design space.
Topic‑specific papers enrich the RAM
RAM 5 is implementation‑neutral, but it does not remain abstract. Several focused workstreams feed directly into it, such as:
- Identifiers and credentials
- Semantics
- Interoperability
- Observability
These papers give deeper guidance in areas where projects often need clarity, and because they evolve independently, they can track the rapid progress in these domains. Together, they provide the depth needed to apply the RAM 5 concepts in real systems.
Alignment with an evolving standards landscape
RAM 5 responds to developments that RAM 4 predates. The data space ecosystem now includes specifications for data exchange and identity, new approaches for semantic interoperability, and observability. By linking architectural components directly to DSP, DCP, and other specifications, RAM 5 becomes a bridge between high‑level governance requirements and concrete technical implementation. It shows how rules translate into interfaces, data structures, and operational processes.
The result is a more adaptable architecture reference that supports practical implementation while maintaining alignment with the IDSA Rulebook and emerging standards. RAM 5 remains implementation‑neutral, but it provides clearer guidance for teams designing production‑grade data spaces.
It also remains coherent with IDSA’s broader documentation landscape: the Manifesto sets direction, the IDSA Rulebook defines governance and requirements, and topic papers give deeper insights. RAM 5 connects these inputs to the technical realities of building interoperable systems.
The path forward
RAM 5 does not replace RAM 4 overnight. RAM 4 remains a stable baseline, especially for projects that depend on its conceptual framing. But the future of data space architecture — modular, capability‑driven, aligned with evolving interoperability frameworks — is being developed in RAM 5.
RAM 5 represents the next step in the evolution outlined in part 1 of our blog series, expanding the architecture toward a more modular and capability‑driven model. In the final part of this series, we look at what this means in practice and how the transition from RAM 4 to RAM 5 will unfold.
Meet us at the Data Spaces Symposium in Madrid
IDSA will host a meeting during the Data Spaces Symposium: IDSA Working Group Architecture Community Meet-up – Way Forward for IDS-RAM
Day 2 (February 11, 2026), 9:00 AM in room London 1.
Check out the program and register now: Data Spaces Symposium 2026 – Scaling cross-border data ecosystems.
