The 5 Principles of Simpl

Discover the 5 driving principles behind the Simpl programme 

Introduction

Simpl is the European Union’s (EU) smart middleware platform for seamless and secure data sharing. This open-source platform plays an important role in the establishment of data ecosystems and will allow “businesses, governments and researchers to store their data and access trusted data shared by others”. Moreover, Simpl will support all major data initiatives funded by the European Commission, such as the implementation of the Common European Data Spaces. 

Data sharing is as easy as sending an email with attachment but doing so while keeping control of the subsequent use of the data requires strong governance and solving several legal challenges. Arguably, one of the biggest challenges to exchanging data is interoperability, where systems are unable to share information with one another because they communicate in different ways, meaning that data cannot be easily accessed or used. 

The challenge is the same for the public sector, where access to data from other countries or regions can help address challenges in health care, the energy transition and traffic management. Greater access to data leads to the creation and development of better services that improve citizens’ quality of life. Similarly, researchers who have a long tradition of collaborating, need the right tools to stimulate (technological) innovation. 

5 Simpl principles

Simpl will provide the technology needed to ensure secure data sharing and will be based on five principles. The Simpl programme is:

1. Anchored to specific use cases, such as Destination Earth, and European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), with plans for future expansion. Interoperable, meaning that it enables the sharing and interoperability of datasets and their associated infrastructure and aims to deploy the middleware platform across a variety of use cases. 
2. Open source, meaning that Simpl will be publicly available and accessible, and allowing anyone to use, edit and distribute without any proprietary claims. Moreover, data owners will have full control over who can access their data, for what purposes, and under what conditions.
3. Smart and modular, it is designed to enable users to test, implement, and continually improve the platform. Its modular architecture allows for easy adaptation and customisation to different platforms and environments, optimising the use of resources for each application. Additionally, this modularity supports the development of specific components that can be integrated with other systems, promoting flexibility and scalability.
4. Scalable and agile, enabling the seamless addition of users and participants to support distributed data sharing.
5. Interoperable and secure, ensuring trust and compliance with existing and future EU regulations. Furthermore, it enables resources to be shared effortlessly, regardless of their data processing environment.

Closing remarks

Are you interested in learning more about Simpl and how it can support data spaces across Europe? Or are you interested in learning more about open-source technologies and how they can be used to create scalable, interoperable and secure solutions? Explore our website and stay informed about the Simpl programme through our news and articles. For more news, follow us on X/Twitter and LinkedIn, or subscribe to our newsletter.