A data space is a network of actors or systems created to share and exchange data, based on commonly agreed principles and rules of the game. Such data spaces are being developed in sectors such as transport, health, energy, agriculture and the public sector to facilitate data sharing and exploitation. They will also build interoperability between sectors, enabling intra- and inter-industry data flows based on fair data sharing principles, data reuse, end-user tailoring of data management packages, business ecosystems and easy discovery and deployment of available technologies and services.

The general principles of data spaces enable the use of data across industries, organisations and geographical boundaries and are key to innovative data-driven processes, products and services for the future global digital economy. Data Spaces are managed data ecosystems where trusted partners apply common high standards and rules for storing and sharing data. Data is not stored centrally, but is distributed across data owners and shared only as needed. Both organisations and individuals have autonomy over the use of their data (data sovereignty) and they themselves grant access and use rights to the data they produce. The creation of data spaces requires coordination at the top level, as standards, policies and rules must be agreed by all participants.

The data space is a set of enabling technologies, such as the data brokerage services under the Data Management Regulation. The provider of a data brokerage service is a so-called “data operator”, which acts in a similar way to telecom operators. The data broker is not allowed to use the data it transmits for its own purposes, but it can use the metadata, or “background” data, generated by its activities to contribute to the development of the data economy. It also has a role to play in promoting trust in the data economy by ensuring that data is transmitted and accessed on the basis of consent (known as consent management).