iSHARE started from a real business challenge in the Dutch Logistics sector, where the challenge of solving low levels of utilization in logistics led to the question why organizations don’t share data. The conclusion of the first stages was the need for a Trust Framework, allowing organizations to control what is happening with their data in full detail. Which is not role based but rather attribute based.

This led to the following phases that took place to develop iSHARE to first production with the help op many co-creation partners. Co-creation partners came from a variety of backgrounds: private and public sector, organizations of different sizes, (serving) different modalities, both providers and receivers of data, etc. This variety of organizations ensures the iSHARE Scheme widely apples across sectors. 

Phase 1 (Jun 2016 – Jan 2017): Preparatory phase

Organizations in Government and Business were openly invited to participate in the iSHARE initiative which resulted in the so called ‘startdocument v0.1’. Startdocument v0.1 provided the preliminary scope for the iSHARE Scheme based on identified challenges and use cases of involved organizations;

Phase 2 (Part I: Jan 2017 – Jun 2017; part II: Jul 2017 – Dec 2017): Co-creation phase

Participating organizations worked collaboratively in Functional, Technical, Operational and Legal working groups towards the first full version of the iSHARE Scheme v1.0 (and later versions 1.2 and 1.5) a first full set of agreements for improved data exchanging conditions. Participating organizations also realized Proofs of Concept to verify the correct functional and technical working of the iSHARE Scheme;

Phase 3 (Jan 2018 – Jun 2018): Soft launch phase

The involved organizations organize how the iSHARE Scheme’s integrity and sustainability are kept in check. This involves establishing/designating an organization entrusted with the responsibility to safeguard the integrity of the iSHARE Scheme;

Phase 4 (Jul 2018 – Jul 2019): iSHARE live

iSHARE opens up to any party interested and willing to abide by the agreements as set out by involved organizations by formation of the iSHARE Foundation.

Phase 5 (Jul 2019 – Oct 2020 ): iSHARE Adoption

iSHARE gets adopted by multiple companies based in different market segments. Business Development continues to focus on service providers in new market segments.

Phase 6 (Oct 2020 and onwards ) iSHARE International and cross expansion

With the collaboration with FIWARE and FundingBox in the i4trust.org programme iSHARE received funding by the European Commission under HORIZON, which will drive in total 32 new data spaces to be formed, in this 3 year programme.

At the same time iSHARE gets major attention in other sectors like Energy, building and horticulture, but also smart city and mobility. 

Phase 7 (November 2020 – November 2021 ) Federation and launch of iSHARE Satellites

The final aspect to cover for data spaces is to allow data spaces to operate completely independent from the foundation. With the launch of the iSHARE Distributed Ledger and iSHARE Satellite Nodes data space initiators become the key parties in onboarding participants and take ownership of the growth of the iSHARE network. And at the same time are empowered to have cross – data space collaboration.