From Data to Data Spaces

Author: Celia Lozano Grijalba , Head of Data & AI at Bosonit.

Welcome to this edition of our newsletter, where we delve into the evolving landscape of data management technologies. As businesses and organizations generate and rely on vast quantities of data, understanding the various data storage and management solutions becomes crucial. This issue will clarify key concepts such as data warehouses, data lakes, public clouds, and data spaces, providing you with a foundational understanding to navigate the complex data ecosystem.

Additionally, we will explore Gaia-X, a pioneering European initiative aimed at creating a secure and sovereign digital infrastructure. Join us as we break down these concepts and discuss why Gaia-X is becoming a cornerstone of Europe's strategy to harness the full potential of its data. 

Understanding Data Storage Options

Let's explore the various data storage options available, each offering distinct features and benefits tailored to different types of data and business needs. 

Data Warehouse: is a system used for reporting and data analysis, and is considered a core component of business intelligence. It is designed to aggregate structured data from one or more sources so that it can be compared and analyzed for greater business insight. Unlike other data management systems, data warehouses are highly structured to facilitate fast retrieval of data through querying and analysis. This makes them ideal for businesses that need to generate accurate reports quickly. 

Data Lake: is a storage repository that can store large amounts of raw data in its native format until it is needed. Data lakes are designed to handle high volumes of data that are too varied or too fast-changing for a traditional data warehouse. This includes unstructured data like videos, images, and social media content. The flexibility of a data lake allows businesses to use powerful tools like machine learning to derive insights from data that is not easily categorized. 

Public Cloud Storage:  offers data storage services provided by a third party over the Internet, making them a flexible and scalable option for data management. These services are available to the public, and customers can rent storage capacity as needed. The key advantage is that it eliminates the need for businesses to purchase and maintain physical hardware, and it can be scaled up or down depending on the demand. Public clouds are managed by external organizations, ensuring that businesses don’t have to deal with the maintenance and management of the storage infrastructure. 

What are data spaces? 

A data space is an ecosystem where diverse actors share data in a voluntary and secure manner, following common governance, organisational, regulatory and technical mechanisms. There a networked data environment where organizations can share data under a shared governance model. It is focused on ensuring data sovereignty and secure data sharing across different organizations and jurisdictions. Data spaces allow participants to exchange data while maintaining control over their own information, according to mutually agreed-upon rules and standards. They are particularly valuable in sectors like healthcare, finance, and public services where data security and compliance are paramount. Some of the characteristics of advanced data spaces include: 

• They ensure participants' trust and sovereignty over their data, creating an ecosystem of peer-to-peer data sharing. In a data space, each participant retains control over its own data, indicating the terms and conditions under which it can be used. 
• They are independent of the underlying technological solution. This allows for portability and deployment in different physical infrastructures. 
• Data is shared under FAIR principles, which facilitates the location, access and use of the data. To this end, datasets must be properly described, including the taxonomies used and their restrictions on use. 
• They enable the deployment of different roles, such as data producers, consumers, data service providers, component developers or operators of essential services, facilitating the development of data intermediaries. 
• They ensure the identity of the participants, as well as the suitability of the software components used, by means of appropriate approval or certification mechanisms. 
• They enable different policies of access and use of information, so that data subjects can determine whether data is shared for free or not, under mechanisms that guarantee its proportionality. 
• They ensure interoperability. 

European data spaces key to boosting the data economy 

Data spaces are a key element of the European Data Strategy and some EU countries (for example Spain @datos.gob.es - Oficina del Dato), which, among other issues, seeks to boost the region's economy through the creation of a single European data market, where data flows between Member States and between sectors of activity, in accordance with the European values of self-determination, privacy, transparency, security and fair competition. 

In this strategy, the European Commission has already announced its interest in investing in and developing common data spaces in strategic economic sectors and sectors of public interest, notably those related to manufacturing, sustainable energy, mobility, health, finance, energy, agriculture, public administrations and skills. Once developed, these spaces are expected to be interconnected, so that the data available in them can be cross-exploited. 

The creation of these data spaces seeks to overcome the legal and technical barriers linked to data sharing, through common standards, tools and infrastructures in a context of digital sovereignty. According to the European data strategy, the development of European data spaces should be carried out taking into account the following elements: 

• The deployment of tools and services for data processing, exchange and sharing, as well as the federation of secure and energy-efficient cloud capabilities and related services. These tools should enable access to data in a fair, transparent, proportionate and non- discriminatory manner. 
• The development of clear and reliable data governance structures, in compliance with EU law, with particular attention to the protection of personal data, consumer and competition law. 
• Improving the availability, quality and interoperability of data, both within specific domains and across sectors. 

In this regard, the European Commission endorses various measures and initiatives for the development of secure and sustainable digital infrastructures. These include Gaia-X, which seeks the development of an open, federated and interoperable data infrastructure in the cloud, and the International Data Spaces Association (IDSA), probably a substantial part of Gaia-X, which promotes an architectural reference model for the development of data spaces. 

Gaia-X is designed around a federated and decentralized architecture that allows for the creation of a secure and resilient digital ecosystem. The architecture of Gaia-X is built on several foundational principles that ensure its operation aligns with European standards for data sovereignty and protection: 

1. Federation of Services: At the core of Gaia-X is the federation of services, which connects various data infrastructure services from across Europe. This federation enables interoperability and data portability, allowing users to combine services from different providers seamlessly. 

1. Identity and Trust: A robust identity and trust framework ensures that all participants in the Gaia-X ecosystem are verified and trustworthy. This framework supports secure and reliable data transactions and interactions across the network. 

1. Data Compliance and Sovereignty: Gaia-X incorporates comprehensive compliance mechanisms to ensure that all data sharing and processing activities adhere to European regulations, such as GDPR. Data sovereignty is a critical component, allowing data owners to maintain control over their data no matter where it is stored or processed. 

1. Decentralized Nodes: The Gaia-X infrastructure consists of decentralized nodes that provide various services, including cloud storage, data analytics, and more. These nodes are maintained by different stakeholders within Europe, promoting a resilient and scalable network. 

1. Open APIs and Standards: Gaia-X promotes the use of open APIs and standard protocols to facilitate the easy integration of services and to foster an inclusive ecosystem that supports a wide range of technologies and vendors. 

1. Sector-Specific Data Spaces: The architecture supports the creation of sector-specific data spaces that address the unique needs of different industries. These data spaces enable tailored solutions for sectors like healthcare, automotive, or finance, optimizing data use in contexts where specific compliance and security measures are needed. 

1. Security and Compliance Hub: Gaia-X plans to implement a centralized security and compliance hub that monitors the integrity and compliance of the network, ensuring that all operations adhere to established standards and regulations. 

Through this architectural approach, Gaia-X aims to establish a reliable, transparent, and sustainable digital infrastructure that enhances the data capabilities of Europe while ensuring strict compliance with its regulatory standards. This makes Gaia-X a cornerstone in Europe's strategy to reclaim its digital sovereignty in an increasingly data-driven world. 

Spain is aligned with Europe in this area: the transition to a data economy is among the axes of the Digital Spain 2025 Plan. Work is currently underway to promote the enabling environment for the creation of sectoral data spaces, through the various data initiatives included in the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. One example is the Spanish Gaia-X Hub, aimed at deploying a robust ecosystem in the field of industrial data sharing, comprising companies of all sizes. The aim of this type of action is to create a community around data that favours innovation and economic growth, with the consequent benefit for society. 

In conclusion, as we explore the intricate landscape of data management and storage options, Gaia-X emerges as a transformative force, underpinning Europe's commitment to data sovereignty and secure data ecosystems. By understanding the distinctive capabilities of data warehouses, data lakes, public cloud storage, and data spaces, organizations can make informed choices that align with their strategic needs. Gaia-X, with its innovative architecture, plays a pivotal role in this landscape, fostering collaboration and innovation across borders. As this initiative continues to evolve, it promises to significantly shape the future of data governance and digital strategy in Europe and beyond, making it a crucial development for any stakeholder in the digital economy.