Evolution of Data
Spaces
Boris Otto · April 22nd, 2021

GAIA-X Webinar on Data Spaces 2
A Data Space Example from the Mobility
Domain
Federated Software
Infrastructure
Data Space Mobility
(Shared Digital Twin)
Mobility Ecosystem
Broker/Catalog
Logging
00010010010
Data-Driven Service
Data Object
GAIA-X Infrastructure
Apr 22nd, 2021

Apr 22nd, 2021
GAIA-X Webinar on Data Spaces 3
Data Spaces Defined
Technology Business Legal
Data Integration Concept Form of Collaboration on Data Object of Regulation
No physical data integration
No common schema required
Data networking, data visiting and
data co-existence
Nesting and overlaps possible
Data sovereignty and traceability
Trusted participants
Business collaboration format
Multilateral organization for a data
sharing purpose
Shared goals of participants
regarding the exchange and sharing
of data
Decision making body for collective
data governance
Instrument for the implementation
of the European and member states’
data strategies
Potential object of application of EU
Data Governance Act
Object of application of European
values for data sharing and data
sovereignty (cf. GAIA-X Policy Rules)

Apr 22nd, 2021
GAIA-X Webinar on Data Spaces 4
Data Space Fundamentals
− Data source
− Publish
− Search for
− Participant
− Register
− Identify
− Authorize
Role Interactions
Data
Provider
Data
Consumer
Federator
Legend: Payload data; Metadata.
− Data exchange
− Request
− Perform
− Log
− Data use
− Constrain
− Perform
Activities

Apr 22nd, 2021
GAIA-X Webinar on Data Spaces 5
Evolution of Data Spaces
Closed Ecosystem Open Ecosystem Federation of Ecosystems
I II III
Legend:
Roles: Participant (Data Provider | Data Consumer); Federator.
Data Exchanges: Payload data incl. metadata between participants; Metadata between participant and federator; Metadata between federators.
Ecosystems: Closed; Open.

Apr 22nd, 2021
GAIA-X Webinar on Data Spaces 6
Data Space Characteristics along the
Evolutionary Path
Closed Ecosystem Open Ecosystem Federation of Ecosystems
Interoperability − Proprietary schemas possible
− Typically use of available
domain-specific standards
− Domain-specific, open
standards required
− Common vocabularies
advisable
− Cross-domain, open standards
advisable
− Mapping/translation between
domain-specific standards
− Uniqueness of identifiers (URIs
etc.) across domains needed
Sovereignty − Traceability and transparency of
data exchange not required if
all participants known
− Increasing demands for policy
enforcement because of
unknown participants
− Policies to be unanimously
understood within ecosystem
− Policies to allow for automated
negotiation
− Demand for policy enforcement
because of unknown
participants and cross-domain
− Policies to be unanimously
understood within ecosystem
and to allow for automated
negotiation
Trust and Security − Trust through the consortium
− Digital certificates/tokens not
necessarily required
− Digital certificates/tokens
required because of unknown
participants
− Dynamic technologies required
in case of sensitive data use
cases
− Digital certificates/tokens to
support cross-ecosystem
application
− Uniqueness of identities
required

Who will take over the federator role in ecosystems? The
consortium of ecosystem participants? A “primus inter pares”
participant? A dedicated, neutral partner?
How does a business model for a federator look like? Not-for-
profit? Low-profit? Profit-oriented?
What implications does regulation have on the concrete
instantiation of the federator role (e.g. EU Data Governance Act)?
Apr 15th, 21
Gaia-X Information Web Seminar 7
Questions to be Answered when
Implementing the Federator Role

Prof. Dr. Boris Otto
Fraunhofer ISST and TU Dortmund
Member of the Board of Directors of the GAIA-X AISBL and the
International Data Spaces (IDS) Association