"IDS-RAM" and "Data Space Protocol" as a baseline for sovereign data sharing

January 12, 2024

DESCRIPCIÓN

The IDS Reference Architecture Model is a powerful guide for building secure and sovereign data spaces.

Years ago, enterprise data was rarely shared, the reason for restricting access to data and information was mainly due to various factors such as lack of trust in the face of fear of loss of competitive advantage; complexity arising from lack of interoperability and governance; costs resulting from lack of infrastructure; and perceived lack of benefits. However, today data, and therefore Data Spaces, are thus at the center of the digital transformation that is underway, signifying the end of data monopolies in their current form, which is influencing the way we do business, consume and live.

Recall that data spaces facilitate the exchange of data through the creation of an ecosystem where actors act voluntarily and securely. These data spaces must have common governance, organizational, regulatory and technical mechanisms, which is guaranteed through reference models, such as the one we use at BAIDATA: IDS-RAM (International Data Spaces Reference Architectural Model), a model developed by IDSA (International Data Spaces Association) and endorsed by the EU.

IDS-RAM is a secure and sovereign data exchange system that aims to standardize the exchange within a data space, so that participants can obtain all possible value from their information without losing control by setting the conditions for its use. Therefore, the owner or holder of the data is responsible for it, it can be shared with another person and a policy can be established on the use that the consumer can make of the data.

However, today there are many and varied connectors and data spaces, some large like Catena-X, and others smaller and more agile; some that last for decades and others that only reach 1 day of life. That is why IDSA has recently developed the so-called "Data Space Protocol", which establishes a series of guiding principles that allow actors from different data spaces to share data with each other.

The main question posed by the Data Space Protocol is, how do we communicate with different connectors? This protocol defines the minimum standard of communication. Whoever masters the Data Space Protocol will be able to communicate with other connectors. In this sense, existing interoperability standards are used, such as the ISO 19941 Interoperability and Portability of Cloud Computing referenced by the EU Data Act; also, the European Interoperability Framework (EIF), which aims to create a single digital market for Europe. This improves interoperability for data sharing, boosts trust and security and encourages investment.

In short, you can currently see various types and architectures of data spaces around the world, each governed by different requirements. Therein lies the key. The Data Space Protocol is the basis for sharing sovereign data between actors in different data spaces and using different connectors, and is therefore sought to be globally valid, a fundamental aspect in the future of the data economy in general, and European data spaces in particular.