Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management explores use of iSHARE for data exchange

The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) is exploring the possibilities of securely exchanging data using iSHARE. As part of this, it is involved in two projects focused on improving data sharing in the logistics sector. Rijkswaterstaat is acting as both a data supplier and a data user in the projects, and is also facilitating other stakeholders such as Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and the country’s main ports.

Rijkswaterstaat sees iSHARE as a possible solution in its ambition to exchange privacy-sensitive data securely and efficiently with other parties. The key added value of iSHARE for Rijkswaterstaat lies in the permissions which enable organizations to authorize others to share data on their behalf.

Tom van der Schelde, senior advisor data and information management at Rijkswaterstaat, comments: “iSHARE offers facilities that other schemes such as eHerkenning and iDEAL do not. The ability to authorize others to share or retrieve data on your behalf is extremely interesting. We will be further investigating the impact of this.”

Rijkswaterstaat is exploring the possibilities within two concrete projects:

1. Rijkswaterstaat as a user of data in a supply chain

In the project called Containervervoer in de keten beter in beeld (‘A clearer picture of container transport in the supply chain’), CBS is trialling a new approach for collecting and processing container data from carriers and shippers. Obtaining the data directly from the transportation management systems (TMS) results in a richer dataset than the previous approach of conducting surveys, plus it requires less effort from the companies involved. CBS processes and connects the data and makes it available to public-sector and private-sector organizations, including Rijkswaterstaat. This data helps Rijkswaterstaat to better understand and predict freight transport trends and to take appropriate and timely action in terms of the construction and improved use of infrastructure.

The iSHARE scheme plays an important role in the pilot because it enables the companies who supply their logistics data to CBS to authorize other organizations – usually ones that regularly receive the same data from them – to provide some or all of that data to CBS on their behalf. Thanks to the iSHARE scheme, those organizations can share the relevant data with other parties safely and securely at the touch of a button, which saves a lot of time and money.

For more information about this, contact Rijkswaterstaat or watch the video (Dutch content) of the webinar by Rijkswaterstaat and CBS which also featured iSHARE. 

2. Rijkswaterstaat as a supplier of data

The Network Management Information System (NIS) data warehouse is where all manner of business-sensitive data is processed into performance indicators about Rijkswaterstaat’s water and infrastructure networks. Via the NIS portal, data and reports are shared with third parties such as municipalities, businesses, other highway and waterway management agencies, and so on. This project is exploring whether such third parties can use an iSHARE identity to gain access to the portal and, if so, what impact this has.

View the NIS portal (Dutch content) on the Rijkswaterstaat website.

These two projects to explore the possibilities of iSHARE are expected to be concluded in the second half of this year. We will keep you informed about their progress.