Data Space Intermediaries & Operators

This topic is not covered in the iSHARE Trust Framework. The data space is free to define agreements or remove this section.

DSSC Description

Within the ecosystem of service providers, intermediaries and operators form a distinct category characterised by their focus on providing enabling services. Data space can have one (operator) or multiple enabling service providers (usually intermediaries).

The effectiveness and utility of intermediaries and operators is ultimately at the balance between four different dimensions: (1) by their ability to streamline and make trusted data sharing easier and more economical, (2) to improve data space accessibility and usability for different participants and so (3) contribute to their scalability, and to (4) enable interoperability both within and between data spaces to create larger markets for different actors across data spaces and enable network effects to arise.

First, Data Space Intermediaries are specialised service providers within a data space that offer one or more enabling services—such as federation support, participant identity management, or organisational onboarding—without necessarily managing the data space as a whole. Unlike a central operator, intermediaries focus on delivering targeted capabilities that collectively support trusted data sharing, accessibility, and interoperability. They contribute to a modular and scalable ecosystem, often complementing one another and operating under the rules and governance framework defined by the data space authority.

Second, Data Space Operators are designated entities responsible for delivering and managing key enabling services—technical, business, and organisational—that ensure the smooth operation of a data space. Whether as a single central operator or a coordinated set of intermediaries, these providers support trusted data exchange, participant onboarding, service interoperability, and day-to-day coordination. Operators play a crucial role in scaling data spaces, enhancing usability, and maintaining neutrality while navigating regulatory, contractual, and governance obligations set by the data space’s framework.

The full description is available here.