The Alliance brings together Finnish pioneers in data technology and offers its members a unified view to develop solutions that cross their organizational boundaries.
The Alliance is a collaborative community working to accelerate, build, and utilize data spaces in Finland. It strives to accelerate the growth and maturity of the Finnish data space initiatives that boost the Finnish data economy. These members orchestrate or participate in active data spaces and those that support their development.
The 22 founding members include 1001 Lakes, Business Finland, CSC – IT Center for Science, DataSpace Europe, Headai, Kela – The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Loihde, Ministry of Transport and Communications Finland, MyData Global, National Land Survey of Finland, Nokia Solutions and Networks, Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS), Platform of Trust (Nordic Data Exchange), Siili Solutions, SIX Mobile Work Machines, Smart City Innovation Cluster, Sitra the Finnish innovation fund, Struggle Creative, Technology Industries of Finland, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, TIEKE Finnish Information Society Development Centre and Traffic Management Company Fintraffic.
Data spaces create opportunities to accelerate the growth and innovation of companies by enabling secure access to resources and enabling the sale and/or sharing of data between multiple actors. Data space technologies are also important enablers in the development of artificial intelligence solutions.
By bringing together key actors and active data space projects, the Alliance ensures their seamless cooperation and improves the competitiveness of Finnish actors in the European data economy and internationally. For data space projects, the Alliance provides support for growth and learning together and provides an efficient way to connect to pan-European networks.
The Alliance’s activities are based on cooperation models that have been proven to work in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Austria, as well as lessons learned from Finnish data space projects in various fields.
The role of MyData is essential in the implementation and adoption of data spaces
MyData Global has been heavily involved in the work around the Common European Data Spaces, as outlined in the Data Strategy of the European Union. In particular, MyData Global has been involved in key initiatives like the Data Spaces Support Centre and the preparatory work in the Data Space for Skills.
The concept of data spaces originates from the industry. However, the data spaces are expected to process increasing amounts of personal data – related to skills, mobility, health and more. Further, the boundary between personal and non-personal data is more an more blurred. The role of MyData Global relates specifically to ensuring a human-centric approach to the use of personal data within data spaces and how personal data can be used for new business innovation, while also respecting fundamental rights and improving people’s self-determination over their personal data.
“MyData is a global community, but we have strong roots in Finland and some of the most important innovations and best practice come from our Finnish partners. This is why we are excited to join the Finnish Data Spaces Alliance, contributing to cutting edge data space design and the development of practical solutions, in the Finland and around the world.” – Christopher Wilson, MyData Global Executive Director explains.
Data Spaces Alliance is launched today, Apr 10, 2024, at the Nordic Data Festival
At the Nordic Data Festival 2024, The Alliance will be unveiled with the announcement of the signed Memorandum of Understanding by the founding members to establish The Alliance.
Representatives of the founding members of Data Spaces Alliance Finland will also be present at the Nordic Data Festival 2024 and will be happy to answer questions from the media.
For further information
For more information about the Data Spaces Alliance Finland, contact Sitra’s Project Director: Anssi Komulainen, anssi.komulainen@sitra.fi, +358 400 129 524.
For more information about MyData Global and its work in data spaces.
contact Christopher Wilson, christopher@mydata.org, +47 906 29 020