The DS4SSCC Blueprint, part of the European Data Space for Smart Communities (DS4SSCC-DEP) initiative, is a comprehensive framework aimed at fostering the creation of a unified, secure, and scalable data space for smart and sustainable cities and communities across Europe. This initiative is co-funded by the Digital Europe program and involves various stakeholders including municipalities, private entities, and academic institutions to drive forward the European Green Deal and Sustainable Development Goals through innovative data sharing and governance practices.
Key components of the DS4SSCC Blueprint include:
- Multi-Stakeholder Governance Scheme: Establishes foundational principles, outlines roles and responsibilities, governance structures, and relevant legal frameworks to ensure secure and trustworthy data transactions within the data space ecosystem.
- Technical Blueprint: Offers a Catalogue of Specifications and a Reference Architecture Model for setting up the necessary technical infrastructure. This aspect is designed to facilitate data sharing and foster trust among stakeholders by recommending standards and technology alongside clear governance mechanisms.
- Roadmap and Action Plan: Proposes a strategic approach towards achieving a pan-European data space for smart communities, focusing on middleware service solutions that facilitate data sharing and management. This phase also includes the development and refinement of the blueprint based on experiences gained through local pilots.
The DS4SSCC-DEP initiative emphasizes the critical role of data as a contemporary societal asset, aiming to build a territorial, place-based data space that encompasses diverse domains and underpins governance across societal levels. It seeks to create a data space controlled by public data holders, aligning with broader data ecosystems and the Smart Middleware Platform.
The initiative is set to be validated and refined through 10-12 cross-sector data pilots across various EU communities, leveraging high-value data sets to create added value by combining data from diverse domains. This approach aims to contribute to sustainability, minimize infrastructure investments, and foster innovation and ecosystem alignment.
For further details, you can visit the official DS4SSCC website and the FinEst Centre for Smart Cities webpage, which provide comprehensive insights into the objectives, implementation strategies, and the overall vision of the DS4SSCC-DEP initiative (Eurocities - Home https://eurocities.eu/latest/data-collaboration-to-enable-the-eu-green-deal/) (Eurocities - Home https://eurocities.eu/projects/data-space-for-smart-and-sustainable-cities-and-communities-ds4sscc/) (DS4SSCC https://www.ds4sscc.eu/about/the-project ) (FinEst Centre https://finestcentre.eu/project/ds4sscc-dep/).
Snap4City, with its advanced capabilities for smart city management and digital twin technologies, can significantly contribute to the objectives outlined by the DS4SSCC (Data Space for Smart and Sustainable Cities and Communities) initiative. There is an indirect involvement of Snap4City with DS4SSCC for the fact that Snap4City is an official platform of FIWARE, and platform of OASC, and thus Snap4City provides a large number of common goals, among them:
- Interoperable Data Spaces: Snap4City's platform is built on open standards and can support the creation of interoperable data spaces for smart cities, aligning with DS4SSCC's goal of establishing a secure and unified marketplace for data that promotes the development of new products and services (Snap4Solutions).
- https://www.snap4city.org/283
- "Data Sources and Models for Integrated Mobility and Transport Solutions", Sensors, MDPI, 2024 https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/2/441/pdf
- Sustainability and Innovation: DS4SSCC aims to support cities in transitioning to climate neutrality by leveraging data sharing across various sectors. Snap4City's tools for monitoring and managing energy consumption, mobility, and environmental data can provide actionable insights for cities striving towards sustainability goals (Eurocities - Home) (Snap4City). https://www.snap4city.org/776
- Governance and Technical Infrastructure: The DS4SSCC blueprint includes a governance scheme and technical infrastructure recommendations. Snap4City's framework, which allows for the integration and analysis of a wide range of data types through its IoT applications and analytics platforms, could serve as a model or be directly applicable within DS4SSCC's proposed governance and technical structure (Snap4City) (Eurocities - Home).
- Pilot Projects and Innovation: DS4SSCC plans to validate and refine its data space through pilot projects across EU communities. Snap4City's experience in implementing smart city solutions and digital twins in various cities could provide valuable insights and technical support for these pilot projects, ensuring their success and scalability (FinEst Centre) (DisIT). https://www.snap4city.org/4
- Middleware Services for Data Sharing: The DS4SSCC initiative's focus on creating middleware service solutions for easier data sharing and management aligns with Snap4City's capabilities in facilitating data integration and interoperability across different smart city domains and services (DS4SSCC https://www.ds4sscc.eu/about/the-project) (Snap4Solutions).
- Snap4City federation of cities: https://www.snap4city.org/673
By exploiting Snap4City's expertise and technologies, smart city initiatives could enhance its efforts in creating a federated, innovative data space that supports the sustainable and digital transformation of cities and communities across Europe. Collaboration between such initiatives and platforms will accelerate the achievement of the EU's Green Deal goals and the broader vision for Europe's Digital Decade.
