• 226 SMEs and 42 Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs), from 23 countries, have participated in the i4Trust’s first open call, resulting in 13 (thirteen) experiments being selected;
• Formed by one DIH and at least three SMEs, each of the selected experiments will receive up to €120,000 in equity-free funding, alongside training, coaching and mentoring;
• The chosen consortia will be fully supported by i4Trust’s core partners to test, pilot and scale concepts around secure and effective data ​sharing, using the i4Trust framework for Data Spaces;
• The selected experiments, which are based on real use cases, will demonstrate how the i4Trust framework provides a solid foundation for the creation of Data Spaces in Europe;

Berlin, Rotterdam, Warsaw – January 24, 2022 – FIWARE, iSHARE and FundingBox today announce the start of 13 (thirteen) experiments that will address the development of innovative services, based on the i4Trust framework. These services will become reference models of how Data Spaces help develop a sustainable Data Economy, based on fair and trusted data sharing. The 13 (thirteen) European experiments – originating from Spain to Finland – were selected as part of the i4Trust first open call, which was launched in May, 2021. Formed by one DIH and at least three SMEs, the chosen consortia will be fully supported by i4Trust’s key partners who will guide them through the implementation, testing, piloting, and scaling of their services. All in all, the experiments cover use cases in AgriFood, Cities, Energy, Environment, Logistics and Ports and will demonstrate how existing processes can be further improved, and new innovative services created, through the secure and effective sharing of data between smart applications.

What’s in store for the experiments

Each of the experiments will receive up to €120,000 in equity-free funding to design and execute their use case. During the course of the experiments, the involved companies and DIHs will partake in several bootcamps to explore potential synergies between the experiments and further work on their fundraising strategy. Between them, FIWARE, iSHARE and FundingBox – the organisations leading the i4Trust program – have accumulated entrepreneurial experience, and hold extensive technical expertise. Moreover, the three organisations have an expansive network of renowned mentors, founders, investors, technologists, standards bodies and innovators who will add outstanding value to the experiments. Juanjo Hierro, i4Trust Project Coordinator said: “We’re thrilled to welcome the first thirteen experiments to i4Trust, which is a significant milestone for the program. We look forward to showcasing the positive results – and the lessons learnt – that they will bring to the table, as the very first reference use cases that have been developed using the i4Trust framework. “As a result of joining the nine-month tailored mentoring program, SMEs, DIHs and technology partners involved in the experiments will become front runners in the Data Spaces revolution. They will show how organisations can work more efficiently and cost-effectively, collaborate with other parties to create innovative services for existing or new customers, and expand into new markets focused on data value chains. We expect the experiments to create a positive and long-lasting impact around the development of Data Spaces in Europe”, he continues.

Open standards: the building blocks of IoT-based solutions and services

The i4Trust framework brings a set of curated open source building blocks based on open standards, namely: 1. Components for Digital Twin Data Exchange; 2. Smart Data Models; 3. Mechanisms for Identity and Access Management; and 4. Trust Anchor, Data Marketplace and Data Publication Services. Using the framework, the experiments are to solve concrete challenges in diverse business and production chains, as follows:

• AgriSpace4Trust (Greece) proposes to create data hubs to exploit data collected by weather stations or agro-environmental sensors and then, open them to a broader local community, enabling an effective and fair prosumption of data services;
• Agrimed (Italy) seeks to enable interaction between IoT-based Smart Agriculture technologies and sustainability assessment services to boost efficient, yet, sustainable Smart Farming in Agriculture 4.0;
• AgroTrust (Italy) aims to drive transparent traceability and certification processes of agricultural products to reinforce trust between consumers and the entire food production chain. The tool also allows farmers to better manage plantation operations;
• CoLoDaS (Netherlands) seeks to develop an advanced logistics platform to support higher transparency of processes and trusted data sharing between all the involved actors within the logistic supply chain, whilst reducing the transportation sector’s carbon footprint;
• CO2-Mute (France) aspires to promote alternative mobility services through gamification. Commuters who drive their own vehicles will receive prizes if they take more sustainable routes when commuting between work and home;
• CoLLMI (Portugal) intends to optimise logistic operations by proposing ‘Collaborative micro-hubs’: common logistic centres, set up in strategic areas that are shared by multiple logistic companies when delivering parcels;
• DSWEU (Finland) plans to showcase the potential of CO2 and energy-reduction projects for non-residential buildings. This way, data service consumers can better understand how enhanced energy efficiency saves cost and contributes to the environment;
• DV4CUL (Spain) strives to reduce urban freight’s impact on 1. congestion; 2. use of space; 3. emissions; and 4. delivery cost by fostering CycleLogistics practises and collaboration between all stakeholders involved in urban logistics;
• e-CMR Hub (Netherlands) proposes to develop a trusted compatibility service for e-CMR (electronic consignment note) providers ensuring the support of the operational processes applied by producers and transporters, regardless of which e-CMR provider may be involved;
• eVine2Wine (Slovenia) proposes to share vineyards’s relevant grape production with the entire value chain to provide superior product and better customer experience;
• FarmData4All (Spain) is on a mission to develop a data service platform that connects all agents in the meat production chain, resulting in optimise processes and costs, while also offering higher valued-added services;
• iGreenPort (Spain) aspires to monitor sea water quality in port areas so that meaningful insights can be collected for the aquaculture industry, while pollution within the environment can also be detected at an early stage;
• SLAM (Netherlands) aims to explore the potential of smart lampposts within cities and suppliers by offering an integrated approach that combines a technical data platform, marketplace and a service portal, providing meaningful insights for cities and companies.

Coming next

i4Trust will launch its second open call in May, 2022, and most of the selected experiments listed above will showcase their milestones at the FIWARE Global Summit (September 14-15, 2022), in Gran Canaria (Spain).

About the i4Trust

i4Trust aims to support different players in the creation of Data Spaces by relying on common standard-based mechanisms for data interoperability, data value creation, as well as data sovereignty and trust. SMEs and DIHs – spanning across a wider variety of regions and sectors in Europe – have been invited to contribute with innovative experiments toward supporting a sustainable Data Economy. In total, the initiative will mobilise 5.8 million euros to boost data sharing and facilitate SME innovation capability through the creation of Data Spaces. For further information, visit the website.

Press Contact

Val De Oliveira: valdirene.deoliveira@fiware.org. Download Press Release