Data Space Intermediaries & Operators

The DSSC Blueprint 3.0 identifies two key types of enabling actors within a data space: intermediaries and operators. These are organisations that don’t necessarily provide or consume data themselves but instead deliver supporting services that keep the data space running smoothly and scale in a trusted way.

At iSHARE, we embrace this distinction and provide a foundation for it within our governance model, even though the Trust Framework itself does not define these roles explicitly.

• Intermediaries are specialised actors offering enabling services such as onboarding, identity validation, registry operations, or policy enforcement. They contribute to the scalability, trustworthiness, and good governance of the ecosystem without centralising control.
• Operators may act as coordinators of the data space infrastructure, responsible for orchestrating participant engagement, ensuring compliance, and supporting the daily operations of the data space.

The complete DSSC description is available here.

In practice, iSHARE-compliant data spaces are encouraged to define these roles clearly and assign responsibilities transparently. These actors often:

• Help new participants onboard safely,
• Support service interoperability and data discoverability,
• Implement trust-enabling services in line with iSHARE specifications,
• Reduce operational and governance risks through clearly assigned responsibilities.

The iSHARE Trust Framework defines 4 Certified roles that can act as Data Intermediaries: Identity Broker, Identity Provider, Authorisation Registry, and Participant Registry. See more about the Framework and Roles, as well as the related functional requirements.

Figure 6.Data Space Roles.

The iSHARE Trust Framework supports the certification and oversight of such roles through Service Level Agreements and a modular trust structure. This ensures that enabling parties operate in line with the same principles of fairness, transparency, and interoperability that apply to all data space participants. In this context, the Data Sharing & Governance Act (DSGA) can help define how intermediaries and operators are organised and governed within the data space.

Whether your data space opts for a single operator or a distributed network of intermediaries, the key is to maintain a neutral, rule-based environment, as recommended by both iSHARE and the DSSC Blueprint, where no single party dominates and all actors can collaborate effectively. This also helps support clearer accountability and a stronger approach to regulatory and operational compliance.

Data Space Intermediaries & Operators connects closely with other building blocks:

• Participation Management: Intermediaries help with enrolment, engagement, and managing participants.
• Use Case Development: Intermediaries help define, develop, and run use cases.
• Business Model Development: Working across data spaces creates opportunities, supports interoperability, and drives competition.
• Regulatory Compliance: Intermediaries must follow rules like the Data Governance Act (DGA).

The guiding questions can help in the co-creation process and in defining this building block, so please see the next section.