Introducing Simpl: Europe's backbone for data spaces

A data space is a secure ecosystem where data can be shared, accessed, and utilised among a network of trusted partners. Unlike traditional data storage, a data space enables controlled data exchange between organisations while ensuring data sovereignty and privacy. In line with this, the European Union has launched initiatives for Common European Data Spaces across various fields, including healthcare, energy, finance, and agriculture. These data spaces are designed to empower sectors to share and exchange data across EU borders, creating a vibrant data economy that benefits businesses, public entities, and EU citizens alike. 

At the core of facilitating these data spaces is Simpl, an open-source middleware that facilitate the discovery, access, and sharing of data across Europe. As a common technical infrastructure, Simpl ensures that stakeholders can efficiently and securely collaborate, promoting data interoperability and ensuring that users maintain control over their data. While Europe scales its digital infrastructure, Simpl acts as a foundational layer that enables secure and streamlined data interactions among European data spaces in a modular and interoperable way. 

By leveraging open data, Simpl widens access to a vast number of datasets while maintaining the ownership and control of data at its source. It also enables interoperability by promoting common data policies, and by providing compatible open-source components that can be reviewed and modified by anyone according to their own data needs. This not only enhances security, but also guarantees that the available data are always up-to-date. 

Simpl will expand access to open data, in particular of and among Data Spaces, enhancing interoperability across sectors in alignment with initiatives like data.europa.eu. Through its support for open data, Simpl helps create a more accessible and collaborative data landscape, essential for driving forward the EU’s digital transformation. 

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