Data Spaces Support Centre

The DSSC project was a joint initiative funded by the EU’s Digital Europe Programme. Its purpose was to identify the needs of data space initiatives, define their common requirements and develop shared operating principles. As part of the EU data strategy, the project established the European Data Spaces Support Centre.

A data space data space refers to an infrastructure based on shared principles and rules (a governance model), designed to enable trusted data sharing within data ecosystems data ecosystems . The aim of a common European data space is to create a seamless digital solution that supports the development of new data-driven products and services.

Data spaces have been identified across several sectors, including health, industry, agriculture, finance, mobility, the Green Deal, energy, public administration and skills.

Sitra actively participated in the project by developing key building blocks related to governance and business models for data space initiatives.

Sitra also put the project learnings into practice by testing the tools developed in DSSC within its own data-sharing experiments funded through the Gaia-X project. In parallel, Sitra updated the Fair Data Economy Rulebook to the EU level.

The DSSC project started in October 2022 and concluded in March 2026. A follow-up project, DSSC2, is about to begin.

Progress of the project can be followed on the DSSC website and in the European Commission’s project database.

The DSSC project involved 12 organisations. It was coordinated by the German Fraunhofer-instititute. In Finland, participants included Sitra, MyData Global and VTT.

Other full partners included BDVA, CapGemini Belgia, FIWARE, Gaia-X, IDSA, KU Leuven, Galwayn yliopisto and TNO.

In addition, the project has 16 associated members, including DIGITALEUROPE and aNewGovernance.