Discover Simpl’s role in enhancing data interoperability
Introduction
The SEMIC 2024 conference took place on Thursday 27 June in Brussels, at the Square Brussels Meeting Centre. The conference was organised by the European Commission in partnership with the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) and Digital Flanders.
The theme of this year's SEMIC 2024 conference was "Interoperable Europe: From Vision to Reality." The theme was closely aligned with the objectives of the newly introduced Interoperable Europe Act, which aims to bridge the gap between the visionary goals of a seamlessly connected European digital public sector and the concrete actions and policies that make this vision a reality.
Event Highlights
The event programme includes High-Level Panels discussing the vision of the Interoperable Europe Act, as well as Tracks and Sessions covering topics such as digital government, AI and privacy, and interoperability solutions. Key stakeholders attended including people from different EU institutions, policy makers, industry leaders, as well as interoperability experts. Key topics discussed included the effective use of interoperability solutions, the expansion of AI and interoperability applications across the EU, the digital-ready policy making and
interoperability in data spaces, and strategies for intergovernmental cooperation.
Simpl at SEMIC
The Simpl programme was presented by Leire Orue-Echevarria Arrieta, during a panel titled “Solutions for Interoperability in and Between Data Spaces.” In this panel, Leire explained the role of Simpl in enhancing interoperability within and across data spaces and ensuring data sovereignty. Simpl focuses on interoperability at both the infrastructure and data levels. To achieve this, it will incorporate various industry-standard vocabularies and ontologies. However, a challenge arises due to the limited availability of these vocabularies and ontologies and the data not being in the correct format. Simpl will need to
provide a solution to address this challenge.
During the panel discussion, the following multiple-choice question was posed to both the onsite and online audiences: "What are the top three features that Simpl should develop to support data space interoperability?" The top three answers were security and privacy, catalogue management (data, apps), and the ability to define and maintain vocabularies.
To start with the top answer, there are many layers of security within Simpl. Currently, it uses user identification and PKI (public-private key infrastructure) for authorisation and authentication. Simpl will also incorporate eIDAS and other security mechanisms such as cryptography. In terms of privacy, the programme will use anonymisation tools.
The second answer highlights a key aspect of a data space: having a comprehensive catalogue of data, services, and infrastructure. The catalogue addresses several aspects, including the ability to define how data should be published, set usage policies, determine who can access the data or metadata, specify access conditions, and define the duration of access.
Finally, for the time being, vocabularies are being defined. Simpl should be extensible, allowing anyone to add their own vocabulary. (Note: If you know of any sector-specific vocabularies that could be integrated into our system, please share them with us).
Conclusion
The SEMIC 2024 event was instrumental in advancing the vision for an interoperable European digital public sector. It provided valuable insights into interoperability solutions and facilitated important discussions between stakeholders. Simpl's participation was key in showcasing its role in enhancing data interoperability.
If you want to dive into the event and watch one of the sessions, the recordings are available here. To watch the specific session on Simpl discussed above, click here. Stay informed about Simpl through our news pieces and articles. For more news, follow us on X/Twitter and LinkedIn, or subscribe to our newsletter.
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