The Data Spaces Symposium 2026 strengthens Europe’s drive to advance data spaces.
February 13, 2026
DESCRIPCIÓN
Madrid hosted a new edition of the Data Spaces Symposium (DSS26) on February 10 and 11, the leading international event dedicated to data spaces. Organized by the Data Spaces Support Centre (DSSC), among others, the event brought together institutional representatives, industry leaders, SMEs, and technology centers at a key moment for Europe’s digital competitiveness.
A turning point for Europe's digital competitiveness
The first day was marked by a strategic reflection on the journey and potential of data spaces. In the panel “The journey of data spaces: achievements, potentials, horizons,” featuring contributions such as that of Ruth del Campo, Director General for Data at Spain’s Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Administration, it was emphasized that the secure, responsible, and scalable use of data will be one of the main drivers of innovation in the coming years. To achieve this, ensuring frictionless data flows and proper interconnection between data spaces will be essential.
From a sectoral perspective, the track “From vision to value: data space success stories in manufacturing & supply chain” showcased real-world experiences from the industrial and supply chain sectors. In this context, progress from projects such as SM4RTENANCE was shared, along with initiatives linked to the Catena-X ecosystem and the international collaboration of the International Manufacturing-X Council.
The presence of BAIDATA partners such as Libelium, NTT DATA, NASERTIC, Asociación Innovalia, LKS NEXT, TECNALIA Research & Innovation, and Mobility LAB Vitoria-Gasteiz demonstrated the ecosystem’s strong commitment to developing data spaces across multiple sectors.
In addition, we participated in a workshop dedicated to the Data Space Professional Qualification Programme (DS-PQP) to gain first-hand insight into participants’ experiences with the courses and examinations. These discussions will contribute to improving the programme and developing new lines of action that respond to professionals’ needs. SQS and Force Technology delivered a presentation explaining their perspective as ATPs.
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Scalability and adoption: from pilot to real deployment
The second day focused on implementation and scalability. One of the most significant milestones was the official launch of the Data Space Adoption Forum (DSAF), supported by the International Data Spaces Association (IDSA), the Gaia-X Association for Data and Cloud (AISBL), and CISPE, among other stakeholders. The initiative aims to accelerate large-scale adoption through cloud solutions and plug-and-play services that reduce costs and complexity, making it easier for thousands of companies—especially SMEs—to join.
In this context, the session “Who onboards the millions? Solving data spaces at scale” specifically addressed how to overcome current barriers related to cost, complexity, and slow onboarding processes in order to move towards distributed, market-ready models.
Another strategic moment was the meeting of the IDSA Hubs, a key coordination forum to align national initiatives and strengthen international cooperation around data spaces.
IDSA also celebrated its 10th anniversary during the Data Spaces Symposium.
Recognizing excellence: European Data Spaces Awards
The Symposium also hosted the first edition of the European Data Spaces Awards, launched by the DSSC with the support of the European Commission. The awards recognized DjustConnect in the category of excellence in impact and sustainability, and sphin-X e.V. as the most innovative emerging data space.
We also extend our congratulations to the other finalists: SM4RTENANCE—a project in which we actively participate and which represents an outstanding example of industrial collaboration at European scale—Catena-X, data.gouv.fr, and DEPLOYTOUR-Deployment European Tourism Data Space.
A very positive assessment
At BAIDATA, we made a very positive assessment of DSS26. The two-day event highlighted tangible progress in the implementation of data spaces, while also identifying the remaining challenges in terms of governance, interoperability, and scalability. The active participation of our partners and our involvement in strategic projects further reinforce our commitment to building an interoperable, trustworthy, and sustainable European data ecosystem.
The Data Spaces Symposium 2026 demonstrated that data spaces are no longer just a vision for the future, but a reality that is steadily taking shape. The work continues, and the European ecosystem is moving forward collaboratively towards a stronger, more connected data economy.