Coffee with Simpl Recap

During the first Coffee with Simpl session, several major digital infrastructure initiatives were referenced as examples of how trust, interoperability and data sharing are being addressed at international level. 

At EU level, the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) demonstrates an alternative model to data spaces for collaboration over data. ESBI colleagues joined and described how the initiative enables cross‑border public services through blockchain‑based trust services, demonstrating how decentralized technologies can support secure digital cooperation between Member States. EBSI is designed as a multi‑layer infrastructure, including a core blockchain network and reusable technical services that can be leveraged by multiple use cases. Initial use cases focus on areas such as verifiable credentials (e.g. diplomas), notarisation, digital identity aligned with eIDAS, and trusted data exchange between public authorities. The infrastructure is operated by a network of national nodes and is built on open and interoperable standards to ensure security, energy efficiency, and regulatory compliance. 

The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) is one of the initiatives Simpl-Live is aimed to support. EOSC is already operational and provides researchers with seamless access to data, tools, and services across borders and disciplines, grounded in interoperability and FAIR data principles. Rather than a single central platform, EOSC operates as a federation of nodes and services, integrating existing national and thematic research infrastructures under common governance and interoperability frameworks. The EOSC ecosystem includes data repositories, computing resources, analytical tools, and a marketplace that enables service providers - both public and private - to contribute offerings under transparent and trusted conditions. The EOSC colleagues called in to check on the Simpl Programme’s progress.  

Beyond Europe, the Ouranos Japanese Data Space Framework 1 was highlighted as an international reference, illustrating how similar data‑space concepts are being developed globally, with a strong focus on trusted data exchange, governance, and ecosystem alignment. The Ouranos framework is closely linked to the concept of “Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT)”, which aims to enable international data sharing while ensuring data sovereignty, security, and protection of intellectual property. The architecture promotes a distributed and federated service model, allowing participants to retain control over their data while enabling interoperability across systems, industries, and countries. 

Together, these examples underline the shared global ambition to build federated, trustworthy digital ecosystems and provide valuable context for Simpl’s role in supporting interoperable data spaces across domains and regions.