Reflections and Tips for Successful European Data Space Pilots

The European data space for smart communities initiative (DS4SSCC-DEP) continues to lead the way in advancing smart, sustainable cities and communities across Europe. This EU-wide initiative is creating a federated, cross-sectorial data space that empowers local and regional governments and their partners to deliver enhanced services, foster sustainability and achieve critical goals such as the European Green Deal.

Taking a Collaborative Approach 

The initiative will engage 10-12 pilot consortiums to validate the blueprint for data spaces, create new cross-sectorial and cross-domain services as well as federate with other data space initiatives across Europe. The DS4SSCC-DEP project organises three rounds of open calls for pilots during 2024–2025, each targeted towards local and regional public administrations in the and their partners in the EU. In November 2024, the initiative entered an exciting phase with the kick-off of the first cutting-edge pilots - “UrbanMind” and “Traffic Flow Data Space”. Read our latest press release about our new pilots here. More pilots will start their activities in March 2025, and May 2025. 

With the third and final round of the Call for Pilots currently open, this is an opportunity for European cities and communities to contribute to the future of smart, connected, and sustainable urban living. Learn more about how to apply for the piloting programme at: https://ds4sscc.eu/cfp-three.

Apply before 28 February at 23:59 CET by submitting your application at apply@ds4sscc.eu

Learnings from Engaging Data Space Builders

Through regular stakeholder forum meetings and two rounds of application calls, valuable insights have emerged that merit special attention.

1. The business and governance side of data spaces is as important as the technical elements to ensure a functioning ecosystem.
   Data spaces do not simply refer to infrastructure(s) for data exchange, it is a systemic approach to fostering data sharing at scale. It is important to identify and elaborate well the business case for (your) data space. Furthermore, data space builders (specifically, applicants of the call for pilots) should be able to describe initial scenarios for scaling and sustaining the data space, beyond the initial limited use cases.
   
   It is clear that access to data is becoming increasingly critical with the rise of AI, as it fuels innovation and competitiveness across sectors, including urban services. For cities, mastering data-driven technologies presents both challenges and opportunities to improve services like emergency management, urban planning, and mobility, while ensuring regulatory compliance and delivering better outcomes for citizens. The DS4SSCC-DEP piloting programme provides a great opportunity for cities and their partners to build their know-how in this regard. However, cities will have to rethink their data strategies:

1. How does the “data space” thinking align with your current systems? What investments and adaptations are required, including for legacy systems and data models?

2. How can you build a roadmap of use cases to ensure cost efficiency beyond this pilot project? What conditions are needed to deploy additional use cases after this one?

3. What data sets are essential for your use case, in terms of type and volume? Which data providers should be engaged to support both current and future services?

4. What is required to build an operational data space? What are the associated costs (e.g., data availability, quality assurance)? Who are the key stakeholders, and what roles will they play? Could partnering with other cities to federate data spaces create mutual benefits?
   
   

2. Think long-term, while making the next few steps!
   Ultimately, participating in the DS4SSCC-DEP initiative sets you up for a 16-18 month journey toward building a fully operational ecosystem for data sharing across Europe. Hence, it is not simply targeted for a (technical) iteration of existing data management and sharing solutions or the delivery of a single local service or use case. This program aims to foster innovative services for cities and communities by enabling seamless interoperability and collaboration among a myriad of stakeholders - locally, regionally and internationally. Importantly, pilots must commit to federating their data spaces with others, ensuring the scalability and success of a truly interconnected network of data space initiatives across Europe. This long-term perspective is essential to ensure that awarded pilots will help to make the vision for a European data space for smart communities a reality!
   
   

3. Building data spaces requires commitment, but without it, there’s no gain.
   Building data spaces is a nascent field, and many cities understandably approach these initiatives with caution due to the complexities and uncertainties involved. However, there are promising signs of growing interest and commitment across Europe. The piloting program has demonstrated that many cities and partner organisations are willing to co-finance and invest significant effort into making these initiatives successful. Countries like Denmark, the Netherlands and Slovenia further bolster these efforts with national funding programmes, making it easier for cities to secure the necessary resources to participate. (Make sure to check for similar programmes in your country!) 

For those involved, participating in the DS4SSCC-DEP initiative represents an important opportunity to position themselves as pioneers in the field, while reducing the financial burden through European Commission support. Additionally, selected pilots will benefit from capacity-building services provided by the DS4SSCC-DEP project, offering valuable guidance and resources to help cities and their partners navigate this journey and achieve impactful results.

Tips and recommendations

1. First and foremost, make use of this chance to bring your cities and communities to the next digitalisation level and truly empower your citizens through data. Apply for the third round before 28 February at 23:59 CET – apply@ds4sscc.eu

2. Missing relevant partners? – Join the Stakeholder Forum and get access to Matchmaking opportunities.

3. Don’t leave your preparation to the last minute, and carefully follow the instructions in application documents as well as the Call for Pilots Manual for avoiding any issues with eligibility. For example, character limits should be respected as well as ensuring that all data is correctly provided (such as Person Months in the budget template or proper assessment regarding data protection). Our panel of reviewers are instructed to check the information with highest scrutiny and it would be unfortunate to reject a good idea because of missing or incorrect information. 

4. Check the eligibility requirements from the Eligibility Check Grid (available at ‘What to Submit and How?’)

Find several reminders and clarifications on the FAQ page about eligibility, funding and budget, technology, scope of work and further. For any other questions, you can contact support@ds4sscc.eu