Data Space Intermediaries & Operators
The DSSC Blueprint 2.0 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.
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 and trustworthiness 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.
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.
The iSHARE Trust Framework defines 4 roles that can act as Data Intermediaries. They are identified as Certified Parties, including Identity Broker, Identity Provider, Authorisation Registry and Participant Registry. See more here about the Framework and roles, and the functional requirements.
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.
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.
The guiding questions can help in the co-creation process and in defining this building block, so please see the next section.
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