European cloud providers rally to onboard 10,000 SMEs into industry data spaces
A group of European cloud and managed service providers is launching an ambitious drive: get 10,000 small and mid-sized businesses connected to secure, shared data environments, called “industry data spaces”—within the next 18 months.
This effort is led by the Data Space Adoption Forum under the International Data Spaces Association. The goal here isn’t just more technology, it’s better access to it. These data spaces are where companies can securely share sensitive operational data, order status, compliance documentation, production plans, under strict rules. Large enterprises are already moving in, but small suppliers lag due to cost, complexity, and lack of tech skills. The forum is lowering the barriers.
Small businesses, especially those with under 250 employees, haven’t been able to catch up fast enough. In auto manufacturing alone, you’ve got over 800,000 suppliers, most too small to absorb the up-front integration costs or hire the expertise needed to plug into a digital supply chain. It’s not that they don’t want to, they just need a clearer, more structured path. That’s what this initiative provides.
Candidly, if we want fully agile supply chains and real-time visibility across value networks, we need everyone in the system on board, not just the top-tier players. Enterprises can’t scale their digital ambitions without pulling their networks forward. That applies across industries.
The approach here is simple, modular, and built for scale. It’s exactly the type of frictionless infrastructure layer we need to match the pace of global supply chains today.
Adoption of an “Onboarding-as-a-Service” model reduces barriers for SMEs
The solution is elegant in its simplicity. Rather than expecting every small business to build complex infrastructure just to connect to a data space, we flip the model. Onboarding becomes a managed service.
This architecture is built on open-source software, with multi-tenant hosting at the core. That means service providers set up shared environments where small businesses can operate independently but still within a common framework. They use a suite of tools from the Eclipse Dataspaces Components platform. One component, called EDC-V, is tailored specifically for providers operating in a cloud environment. Then there’s the Connector Fabric Manager, which streamlines deployment and ongoing operations. For those wanting a fast start, there’s JAD, a ready-to-run package for demonstrating and prototyping the system.
You don’t need each company hiring technical architects or chasing compliance checklists. Instead, a service provider, they already manage your infrastructure, extends that support to include data space onboarding. It’s clean, efficient, and accessible.
Why does this matter? Because decentralization only works if everyone can plug in at speed. When onboarding is standard, secure, and handled by experts already in the ecosystem, small players can act fast without worrying about disruption, cost overruns, or scope creep.
SMEs won’t onboard at scale unless it’s easy. That’s the unlock here. Businesses want speed without compromising trust. The onboarding-as-a-service model makes that possible. It’s not future-tech; it’s future-ready tech being applied intelligently right now.
Leveraging existing provider-client relationships to drive market adoption
This initiative isn’t starting from scratch. It’s built on a clear understanding of who already has the trust of SMEs, local cloud and managed service providers. These companies aren’t new players; they’re already embedded in the day-to-day infrastructure of small and medium-sized businesses. Now, they’re being asked to play a stronger role, by integrating onboarding services into their existing offers.
These providers already manage hosting, security, and networks. They’re closer to the business realities of SMEs than most external consultants. That local trust is a key asset. By expanding their responsibilities to include standardized data space onboarding, they make adoption feel less like a leap and more like a step forward. It fits with what SMEs already understand and rely on.
From a strategy perspective, this structure maximizes distribution without inflating complexity. Providers aren’t tasked with inventing new frameworks, they’re using tested components, designed for cloud-agnostic environments, to deliver a uniform onboarding experience to clients across different regions and industries.
The model taps into federated cloud infrastructures and exchange points, which gives it geographic flexibility. So whether it’s a manufacturing SME in Northern Italy or a MedTech supplier in Bavaria, the process remains consistent, maintained, and compliant.
For C-suite executives reviewing operational resilience, that matters. This isn’t digital transformation with vague timelines, it’s a tailored, ready-to-implement mechanism delivered by partners companies already trust. That level of alignment is rare and valuable at scale.
Demonstrated Cross-Industry applicability through an automotive pilot
This isn’t theory, it’s already being tested in a real-world setting. The onboarding model was piloted through Catena-X, an automotive data-sharing initiative driving digital collaboration in one of Europe’s largest and most complex industrial ecosystems. The sector is under immense digital pressure, with thousands of interconnected suppliers needing synchronized access to data.
What the forum learned in this automotive deployment is clear: the model works in high-stakes, heavily regulated environments. A structured onboarding process, delivered as a managed service through existing cloud providers, reduces friction, accelerates participation, and maintains trust across the data ecosystem.
That success isn’t limited to automotive. According to the forum, the same stack, EDC-V, Connector Fabric Manager, and JAD, can be used in other sectors, like pharmaceuticals or heavy equipment, where supply chain transparency and regulatory traceability are non-negotiable.
The real value for executives here is repeatability. If you’re overseeing operations in a sector where trust, compliance, and collaboration are essential, this infrastructure gives you a proven way to bring smaller partners into your ecosystem, without compromising on speed or standards.
It also makes cross-data-space operations possible. A single model that can plug into multiple trusted environments? That’s a step toward long-term interoperability, and long-term competitiveness.
Aruba’s pivotal role in enabling accessible data spaces
Aruba is not a passive partner in this initiative. The company is a key force in making data spaces practical and accessible for SMEs across Europe. With its infrastructure spanning several European regions, including multiple data centers in Italy and partnerships across the continent, Aruba brings the technical and geographic reach needed to support this shift toward standardized onboarding.
But infrastructure alone isn’t the full story. Aruba also brings trusted certification and security capabilities through its entities Aruba PEC and Actalis, which are critical when businesses move sensitive data across supply chains. These elements provide the foundational trust that SMEs need to participate in shared data environments, particularly in regulated industries that demand high levels of assurance.
For companies further down the supply chain, from second-tier suppliers to specialized service providers, strong local support networks are often the difference between adoption and avoidance. Aruba fills that gap with localized expertise and operational continuity.
Marco Mangiulli, Chief Innovation Officer and R&D Director at Aruba, summed it up well: “For data spaces to succeed, access must be simple and within reach of all companies across the value chain.” He emphasized that Aruba’s role is not just technical, it’s strategic. By offering infrastructure, ecosystem-level insight, and regional presence, Aruba reduces complexity and risk for small firms looking to engage in modern data-sharing ecosystems.
For C-level leaders assessing vendor partnerships, this matters. Aruba’s integrated presence, technical, compliance, and regional, makes it an effective enabler. It’s not just about connectivity; it’s about end-to-end capability that aligns with how smaller businesses operate and scale. Access becomes attainable, without forcing companies to stretch beyond their limits. That’s what moves adoption forward.
Key executive takeaways
- Accelerating SME integration: European cloud providers are partnering to onboard 10,000 SMEs into secure industry data spaces, addressing long-standing access challenges and enabling broader supply chain visibility. Executives should evaluate their supplier networks for readiness to plug into these environments.
- Removing integration barriers: A new onboarding-as-a-service model, powered by open-source infrastructure, reduces the technical and financial burden for SMEs to connect. Leaders should consider leveraging these standardized services to bring smaller partners into digital ecosystems faster and at lower cost.
- Scaling through trusted channels: The model relies on existing relationships between SMEs and their cloud service providers to drive adoption. Executives should engage their local service providers to assess how these partners can support onboarding efforts within their supply networks.
- Proven in complex industries: A pilot with Catena-X in the automotive sector validates the model’s real-world viability and potential for cross-industry replication. Decision-makers should monitor these industry pilots as indicators of scalability, particularly in sectors requiring high compliance and interoperability.
- Aruba enabling localized adoption: Italian cloud provider Aruba plays a critical role by offering infrastructure, local presence, and certification services. Firms working across European markets should view partnerships with providers like Aruba as strategic enablers of SME participation in next-gen data ecosystems.
