IDSA Workshop on Data Spaces: basic concepts, use cases and open questions

In Brazil, MDIC is actively working to foster Brazil’s data economy through policy dialogues and technical initiatives. Following the Dialogue on Information Society and Digital Economy (DISDE) held in March 2024 in Brasília between the EU and Brazil, both parties agreed to engage in technical exchanges on the topic.

As such, two workshop sessions happened in October looking at the Common European Data Spaces. In the morning, the session brought together institutions from the Brazilian government; while in the afternoon, the group included industry and sector associations as well as representatives of companies – small and large. The activity aimed to provide a detailed overview of the technical foundations, concepts, and standards developed by IDSA while fostering a common understanding of the challenges and opportunities in implementing data spaces across various sectors.

Public experts discuss data spaces and digital transformation

The event opened with remarks from Marcos Toscano, Director for Digital Transformation and Innovation at the Ministry for Development, Industry, Trade, and Services (MDIC), and Maria Buzdugan, Counsellor and Head of Section for Economy, Industry, and Digital Transformation at the EU Delegation to Brazil (EUDEL). Both speakers contextualised Europe’s evolving role in data space initiatives and the broader landscape of digital transformation, and opportunities for engagement with Brazil in such area.  

Sonia Jimenez, Director for Data Space Technology at IDSA, delivered an initial presentation introducing key concepts and applications of data spaces. She further detailed the contributions of IDSA, including their Reference Architecture, Dataspace Protocol, Connectors, testbeds, and certification processes.

The event also included a deep dive into public sector use cases, with Sonia offering insights into how data spaces are being leveraged in government settings. Each session was followed by a Q&A session moderated by GIZ, fostering an interactive exchange of ideas.

Exchange between the public and private sector

In this session, Marcos Toscano and Maria Buzdugan were joined by Flavio Maeda, Vice-President of the Brazilian Association of Internet of Things (ABINC), and Isabela Gaya, Manager for Technology at the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI) for the opening. They shared insights into ongoing initiatives in the country and the strategic importance of data spaces in fostering economic growth. ABDI also presented their cooperation with the German-Brazilian Digital Dialogue on this topic, including the Green Paper on Data Spaces and their recently published report on Agro Data Spaces.

Sonia presented the basic concepts and applications of data spaces, followed by a detailed exploration of private sector use cases, e.g., Mobility Data Spaces. Her presentations offered practical perspectives on the transformative impact of data spaces across industries and the current state of implementation in Europe.  

The session also included an interactive discussion on the required steps to establish a data space, emphasising the importance of collaboration, infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks for future pilot projects in Brazil.  It concluded with a wrap-up discussion, underscoring the critical role of partnerships in advancing Brazil’s digital transformation agenda.