Fragmentation threatens the EU single market for data and data services. Together, we can build the European Data Space Network — a connected, interoperable ecosystem powering innovation and value creation through sharing of data and services ensuring trust, sovereignty and seamless interaction.
by DSIF Community
Fragmentation Today
Each sector — mobility, energy, health, public sector, manufacturing — has built its own data space. Each relies on distinct standards, connectors, and governance.
Today, the Data Space Protocol and the Gaia-X Trust Framework are not integrated and can even be considered competing. Connectors such as FIWARE, Prometheus-X, Simpl, and Eclipse are not compatible.
The result? Fragmentation slows interoperability, limits reuse of data and services, and blocks a true Single Market for Data.
The Data Space Interoperability Framework (DSIF)
A shared foundation to make data spaces interoperable.
The DSIF defines minimal requirements (MUSTs) and recommendations (SHOULDs), on each 4 layers of interoperability, that allow any data space to connect with others.
It is co-developed by data space practitioners, built on existing frameworks, and designed for practical adoption.
- Technical: APIs, connectors, data exchange protocols
- Organisational: Onboarding, trust, marketplace patterns
- Legal: Contracts, policies, compliance
What Interoperability Makes Possible
Product Portability
Offers created in one data space can be discovered and consumed from another — thanks to shared vocabularies, APIs and protocols.
Shared Trust, Identity and Access Management
Common mechanisms for authentication, authorization, and certification ensure sovereignty of participants and cross-space confidence.
Contract Interoperability
Participants using different contract mechanisms — peer-to-peer or centralised — can transact seamlessly.
Common Policy Language
Policies are expressed in shared formats (e.g., ODRL with Gaia-X profile extensions), ensuring portability and common understanding of enforced policies.
Common APIs & Data Models for exchange
Recommended open APIs (NGSI-LD, MCP/A2A, S3) and shared data model serialization formats (JSON, JSON-LD) and common data models repositories (e.g., smart data models) enable technical and semantic interoperability.
Traceability & Compliance
Auditing logs follow common structures, supporting accountability, auditability and regulatory compliance across data spaces.
Source: https://dsif.eu/