Position Paper: Why Does the European Data Space for Smart Communities Matter for Europe?
Imagine a future where cities and communities across Europe share and reuse data, not just within one domain like mobility or energy, but across many. For example, public transport, housing, energy use, environmental monitoring and climate adaptation, data could all feed into a richer understanding of urban life, enabling more efficient services, better decision-making, stronger resilience, and improved sustainability. That future is what the common European Data Space for Smart Communities aims to enable, and this is taking shape already.
The recently published project output of the DS4SSCC-DEP initiative (the EU-funded deployment action for the abovementioned data space) – “Strategic Position of the European Data Space for Smart Communities in the EU Data Spaces Ecosystem: The Role of DS4SSCC-DEP as Its Enabler” – lays out a first comprehensive view on what we envision as the European Data Space for Smart Communities, why it is needed, how it fits into the wider European ecosystem, and how the deployment action is helping build it. This position paper provides a strategic perspective on how we are progressing from concept to practical cooperation at both community and broader ecosystem level to make cross-domain and cross-border data sharing in Europe a reality.
The main takeaways from this paper are:
Smart communities benefit from a cross-domain data space. Urban and regional challenges related to energy, mobility, climate, and other areas are deeply interconnected. A data space that spans multiple sectors is better positioned to address this complexity effectively.
Local communities remain at the centre of data-sharing. Data-sharing delivers value when it is grounded in local context, governance traditions and community needs. The European Data Space for Smart Communities is expected to support diverse situations rather than impose a one-size-fits-all solution.
Interoperability extends beyond technical requirements. For data sharing to function across domains and borders, systems need shared standards, common vocabularies, transparent governance, legal interoperability, and coordination at all levels – from local to European.
Real-world pilots play a crucial role and are already underway. Within the DS4SSCC‑DEP project, 11 cross-domain and cross-border pilots are currently actively exploring how a Smart Communities Data Space works in practice.
Sustainability is a foundational consideration on all levels from the start. The initiative emphasises lasting governance, open standards, reusable tools, and community ownership, rather than relying solely on temporary projects or public funding.
Europe has a real opportunity to connect the local and the European levels. By aligning locally rooted data spaces with European-level standards, infrastructures, and cooperative frameworks, the initiative bridges grassroots innovation and big-picture coordination – pointing toward a federated, inclusive and future-proof data ecosystem.
Cities, SMEs, policymakers, and citizens interested in understanding how local data spaces are evolving – by also learning from the experiences of the DS4SSCC-DEP pilot projects and ecosystem-level developments – are invited to join the DS4SSCC-DEP Stakeholder Forum. The Forum offers a space to exchange experiences, provide feedback, and help shape the next steps of the European Data Space for Smart Communities.
Engaging now means contributing to the foundations of future federated, people-centred data spaces in Europe – grounded in local needs, aligned with European values, and built to last.
Read the full report here
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