Meet the people behind DATAMITE: Samarkhel-Khan Yahya (DIN)
DATAMITE is an ambitious project with a consortium of 26 organisations from 11 countries, but beyond the numbers are the people. With the series "Meet the people behind DATAMITE" we want to introduce the people who work every day to achieve our ambitious goal: to deliver a modular, open-source and multi-domain Framework to improve data monetising, interoperability, trading and exchange in the form of software modules, training and business materials for European companies, empowering them to become new relevant players in the data economy.
Today we present Samarkhel-Khan Yahya from DIN – the German Institute for Standardization. He studied Computer Science and Business Engineering in the field of project management, and since 2016, he works at DIN within the team responsible for the committee “Information Technology and selected IT Applications (NIA)”. In this committee, there are several subcommittees that deal with Information Technology topics like e.g. Artificial Intelligence, IT-Security, Internet of things, Biometrics etc, he explains. “I am responsible for standards in the field of Cards and security devices for personal identification and manage national committees at DIN, but also international committees at ISO, as DIN is also a member of the European and International Standardization Organizations CEN and ISO”.
What is your role in the DATAMITE project?
In DATAMITE my role is to observe the project results and discuss standardization potential, as I am responsible for standardization in the project. If we identify standardization gaps in the project, then it is possible to develop new standards within DATAMITE.
Standardisation has different effects on the innovation process, such as promoting the transfer of knowledge and technology from research results to practice and the market, helping to disseminate and apply innovative knowledge, identifying the demand for technical standards, networking with relevant actors in the field, or strengthening and improving the overall competitiveness of the national economy.
What milestones do you expect to achieve at the project?
I expect that we can develop a CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA). A CWA is intended to satisfy market demands for a more flexible and timelier alternative to the traditional European Standard. So, basically a CWA is the ideal solution, when you have innovations and want to develop a document quickly, without the usual standardization process, which can take 3 years. A CWA can be developed in one year and does not reflect the same level of consensus like a European Standard, which is why it can be developed quicker. This CWA however can be transformed into a European Standard in the future. So, there is no need to rush things into a European Standard, when you are dealing with innovative solutions.
In your opinion, what is the positive impact that DATAMITE will generate? What is the element that makes this project special?
I think that in this digital era, data is becoming more important than ever. I hope that the DATAMITE framework will help European companies to exploit and monetize their data and monetize it. I think that otherwise lots of potential will be left off. I expect that the DATAMITE project can make that difference in the European market.
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International Conference on Future Networks & Distributed Systems (ICFNDS)
The International Conference on Future Networks and Distributed Systems (ICFNDS) took place on 21-22 December 2023 at the American University of the Emirates, Dubai, UAE. The 7th ICFNDS aimed to address advances in research on distributed systems and networks of the future, covering topics ranging from enabling technologies to emerging applications and industrial experiences, encouraging researchers and practitioners to exchange and share their experiences.
The University of Koblenz represented DATAMITE in the session entitled "Data trading and monetisation: Challenges and open lines of research". During its presentation, the University of Koblenz shared the technical and organisational challenges affecting data monetisation and identified those areas that need further research in order to push the boundaries of current knowledge with an emphasis on areas where research is currently limited or non-existent, and where DATAMITE is a pioneering project that will revolutionise data monetisation.
The Publication is available here.
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The fourth DATAMITE newsletter is out!
The fourth edition of the DATAMITE newsletter is now available. In this new edition you will find:
- A year of DATAMITE as seen from every Work Package (WP).
- Campaign: Meet the people behind DATAMITE, with Santiago Cáceres Elvira and Vasso Apostolopoulou.
- Internal events, such as the European Big Data Value Forum.
- All about the last DATAMITE plenary meeting of the year.
Read it in our Zenodo repository, and in our LinkedIn Newsletter section.
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Time flies: a year of DATAMITE as seen from every WP
DATAMITE is a project that embodies the values of teamwork and diversity, with a team characterised by multidisciplinarity, complementarity of knowledge and objectives, and an excellent track record in research and development projects. To achieve DATAMITE's ultimate goal of delivering a modular, open source, multi-domain framework to improve data monetising, interoperability, trading and exchange, the different partners of the consortium are organised under Work Packages (WP), forming a total of 7.
In this article the leaders of each Work Package review the first year of DATAMITE (2023) and what they hope to achieve in the next year (2024), within their area of work and objectives.
WP1: Datamite Design, development and preparation
During the first year of the project the work of WP1 focused on preparing and successfully submitting two deliverables. D1.1 Roadmap and Pilots Definition contains contributions regarding the project roadmap, pilots design, KPI and data quality metrics definition, state of the art analysis and integration roadmap of ICT-13 building blocks. D1.2 Requirements and Architecture describes the project requirements collection and analysis, and the design of the DATAMITE framework and modular architecture. Those two deliverable contain contributions gathered in all WP1 tasks: three of them (T1.1, T1.2 and T1.4) are already completed, while the other two (T1.3 and T1.5) are frozen until the next WP1 deliverable (D1.3) will be due in M20.
In 2024, WP1 will focus on the remaining open tasks: validating and updating the requirements of the project, and updating the architecture according to the work done in technical work packages. Those contributions will be gathered in D1.3 Requirements and Architecture, which will be an update of D1.2.
WP2: Data Sharing Mechanisms and data sovereignty
In the past year, WP2 has been dedicated to conducting research on DATAMITE data sharing mechanisms and data sovereignty aspects. In more detail, we explored initiatives from IDSA & GAIA-X components and established communication channels with potential data destinations such as DATA CELLAR, AIoD, and EOSC. These efforts aimed to gather insights into data sharing and data sovereignty, encompassing aspects like data and metadata management, and access control policies. As a result, we have formulated the initial design approach for both data sharing and data sovereignty mechanisms.
Looking ahead to the upcoming year, our focus will shift toward developing data sharing mechanisms and data sovereignty tools, integrating them with a variety of data destinations.
WP3: Data governance, quality, security and support modules
Work Package 3 has played a pivotal role during its initial year, focusing on delivering to the DATAMITE modules for Data Governance, Quality, Security, and Support tools. Throughout this pre-eminently technical package, our efforts have centered on contributing to the framework architecture aligning with stakeholder requirements, designing key components, and evaluating existing ones for integration. Simultaneously, progress has been made in developing user interfaces. A noteworthy accomplishment within this work package is the delivery of a comprehensive analysis, presented in D3.1, shedding light on the intricate process of constructing a data product. From the ingestion of raw data to the addition of informative metadata, quality enhancement, and policy integration for third-party use, our approach also considers the profound impact of GDPR on handling personal data.
WP4: Beyond sharing A business and quality approach to Foster the European Data Economy
In the past year, Work Package 4 (WP4) has been instrumental in integrating the business model perspective into platform development. The focus was primarily on examining the legal aspects of data sharing, and initial strategies for data monetization were formulated. The understanding of the business model and the importance of considering customer interests are continuously being woven into the project's core. Moreover, we have begun exploring the initial benefits of data monetization that extend beyond mere economic value.
Looking ahead to the upcoming project year in 2024, our efforts will be expanded to provide companies with a comprehensive guide for selecting their data monetization strategies. Moreover will we pursue the development of mechanisms for quantifying the value of data and a maturity model for competency development in implementing data monetization strategies. The aim is to offer a structured approach that not only maximises economic returns but also considers broader benefits arising from data utilisation.
WP5: Integration, Demonstration and Validation
During the first year, six use case demonstrators have been developed on top of the DATAMITE framework within the WP5, validating it and proving its usefulness in real life/realistic scenarios. During the first period the use cases have been elaborated in more details, providing also requirements for the DATAMITE architecture. Detailed architecture for each use case has been defined, using the DATAMITE architecture as the base for defining the use case specific building blocks and flows. As part of the initial steps the pilot input datasets have been defined and validated.
Early 2024, WP5 will start setting up and maintaining the continuous integration tools and processes that will support and guide the integration and release of the DATAMITE framework. In 2024 pilots will start development of pilot-specific connectors/modules needed to deploy the DATAMITE Framework.
WP6: Outreach, Exploitation and Collaboration
Looking back on the past year, Work Package 6 has been a pivotal force in our project's success. It spearheaded communication and dissemination efforts, creating impactful outreach materials and supporting participation in key international events like Data Week 2023, EGI –Enabling Grids for E-Science- Conference, the European Big Data Value Forum or EclipseCon, and important national events such as Women in Tech Summit, ITM Industry Europe or the National Field Days. In addition, WP6 has been in charge of the design, development and daily maintenance of DATAMITE's social media, a fundamental tool to create a community around the project and to make its progress known to a wide audience beyond the Consortium partners. One of the most outstanding actions is the campaign "meet the people behind DATAMITE", which combines articles on the website, interviews uploaded to YouTube and a campaign on Linkedin and Twitter to get to know the professionals working on the project in a closer way.
WP6 implemented an effective Impact Master Plan, organising an internal workshop to define the exploitable results as well Preparation of standardisation research which will lead to proactive involvement in relevant standardisation committees and ongoing projects. Collaborating with the Data Spaces Support Center, we conducted regular meetings and actively engaged in all three thematic areas. These discussions helped identify needs for the Data Spaces Connector's development, addressing technical challenges collaboratively. In the ecosystem development sphere, we successfully introduced a GitHub repository for our project, fostering transparency and collaboration within our community. These activities have strengthened our project's standing, propelling us toward excellence.
Looking ahead to 2024, WP6 is committed to deepening our involvement in ecosystem development and community engagement and outreach activities. The successes of the past year and the connections forged through events and campaigns fuel our anticipation for continued growth, collaboration, and innovation. Here's to a year of achievements and the promising endeavours that lie ahead!
WP7: Project Management
The main goal of project management (WP7) during the first year was to provide a focused, lean, but effective framework to support the partnership in achieving the project's scientific, technical and business objectives. WP7 has established the project governance structure appropriate for the project to run successfully. A set of collaborative tools, e.g, SharePoint server and mailing lists, among others, have been implemented to effectively collaborate in a large project like DATAMITE with 25 organisations. Furthermore, reporting procedures, including the Deliverable 7.1 Project Management, Risk and Quality Handbook, have been established to ensure everything is consistent with what was expected in the Grant Agreement. Quality Management has also been considered to meet high expectations, and risks are continuously identified and monitored to apply countermeasures as soon as they are realised. Lastly, the project keeps up to date with a data management and protection plan that all partners follow.
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DATAMITE participates at InfoCom
On December 14th, the IT Innovation Center of OTE Group of Companies hosted a session at the 25 th Infocom World 2023 Conference in Athens focused on DATAMITE, called “DATA Monetization, Interoperability, Trading & Exchange”. The organised session was part of a scientific workshop entitled as “Modern Research and Development Projects: Creating the Pillar for Investment and Innovations in the ICT converged (Vertical) Markets”.
Infocom World 2023 Conference and Exhibition aimed to deal with several potential challenges rising from ongoing EU-funded research (i.e., either specific projects and/or wider innovative frameworks) allowing to identify, describe, evaluate and assess corresponding network and services solutions, that will boost the telecommunications market as well as other relevant vertical markets to higher levels and, in parallel, will create the framework for realising investments and promoting innovation, for the benefit of all involved end-users, such as corporate, residential, State Authorities, organisations, and many more.
Santiago Caceres Elvira, Project Manager of DATAMITE at ITI, initiated the session with insights into the DATAMITE’s contributions to the European Data Monetization. Following this, Vasso Apostolopoulou, Innovation Engineer at Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, presented “Corporate Multi-Site Data Exchange”. Savvas Manikas, Data Analyst at HEDNO, continued with “Offering Data to Service Providers with Data Spaces” , and Vasilis Siopidis, Research Assistant at CERTH, concluded the session with “DATAMITE – The Architecture to Reach Monetization”. The session was moderated by Christos Gizelis, Principal Innovation Analyst at Hellenic Telecommunications Organization.
At the DATAMITE booth, hosted by the IT Innovation Center of OTE Group, some partners of the DATAMITE Consortium —HEDNO, ICCS, and AUSTRALO— were present to formally introduce the project and provide complementary information. Attendees had the opportunity to engage with both DATAMITE partners as well as the project “Digital Assistant'' – an interactive avatar.
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DATAMITE at EclipseCon 2023
DATAMITE took part in EclipseCon 2023, organised in Ludwigsburg in October 2023 by the DATAMITE partner, Eclipse Foundation. EclipseCon is the leading conference for developers, architects, and open source business leaders to learn about Eclipse technologies and share best practices. Eclipse’s biggest event of the year connects the Eclipse ecosystem and the industry’s leading minds to explore common challenges and innovate together on open source runtimes, tools, and frameworks for cloud and edge applications, IoT, artificial intelligence, connected vehicles and transportation, digital ledger technologies, and much more.
This makes EclipseCon the perfect scenario for DATAMITE to meet and make itself known among the community of more than 460 developers, architects, researchers and managers who attended the conference. During the four days of the event -a community day, plus three days of conferences- DATAMITE, from the Eclipse Research booth, exhibited a poster and handed out flyers and stickers to developers and people who showed interest in the project, having wide acceptance among the developer community.
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New YouTube channel
We are delighted to announce the launch of the DATAMITE YouTube channel. We will be sharing information, interviews, updates and much more about the DATAMITE project, an innovative initiative designed to help European businesses and public administrations overcome the challenges of data monetisation.
DATAMITE focuses on simplifying data monetisation through key modules such as Data Governance, Quality or Security. Our approach, based on open source components, ensures seamless integration with leading storage technologies. Our user-centric design, intuitive interfaces and comprehensive training materials address both technical and business audiences.
Visit DATAMITE’s YouTube Channel, and join the data revolution!
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Meet the people behind DATAMITE: Vasso Apostolopoulou (OTE)
DATAMITE is an ambitious project with a consortium of 26 organisations from 11 countries, but beyond the numbers are the people. With the series "Meet the people behind DATAMITE" we want to introduce the people who work every day to achieve our ambitious goal: to deliver a modular, open-source and multi-domain Framework to improve data monetising, interoperability, trading and exchange in the form of software modules, training and business materials for European companies, empowering them to become new relevant players in the data economy.
Today we present Vasso Apostolopoulou from OTE Group of Companies. She describes herself as “a dedicated professional with a strong commitment to personal growth and continuous learning, particularly in the fields of business administration and data analytics”. As an Innovation Engineer at OTE, her role involves evaluating and testing emerging technologies to align them with OTE's business needs. “Within the IT Innovation Center, we collaborate with various departments, prioritize innovation, and lead projects to integrate new solutions, driving positive change”.
As part of the DATAMITE Consortium, Vasso aims to expand her knowledge “at the intersection of data and monetization, while actively participating in the evolving data-driven era”. When asked about her motivations as a professional, she is clear: “What truly inspires me is the opportunity to contribute to my field by constantly seeking ways to add value through improvement and innovation”. A philosophy that we fully share at DATAMITE as a project.
Watch the full interview with Vasso Apostolopoulou below.
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DATAMITE holds its last plenary meeting of 2023
From 21 to 22 November, the DATAMITE Consortium met in Bologna to host its third -and last of 2023- plenary meeting. Two days of intense work that have served to discuss the progress made so far and next steps to achieve the project’s main aim: to provide a modular, open-source and multi-domain Framework for Improving Data Monetisation.
The meeting, hosted at the premises of CINECA, was developed over two full days in order to make an in-depth assessment of the progress made during these first 11 months of work and to establish the necessary roadmaps to start producing tangible results for the beginning of DATAMITE's second year of life. We are approaching the halfway point of the project and, although as a consortium we are very happy with the pace of work, it is necessary to start moving from theory to practice in order to revolutionise the European Data Market.
The first day of the meeting started with an overview of the status of the project with the Project Coordinator, Santiago Cáceres Elvira, PMP from ITI, followed by two parallel sessions to discuss Data Sharing Mechanisms and Data Sovereignty, and the project's business and quality approach to fostering the European Data Economy, respectively. Following these two focus groups, the consortium discussed one of the core aspects of DATAMITE: the architecture of the pilots. All attendees participated in this practical workshop, whose main aim was to derive the architectural concept of each pilot, including a mapping of components and functionalities covered. In the afternoon two parallel sessions took place on Data Governance, Quality, Security and Support Modules on the one hand, and Dissemination, Exploitation and Collaboration on the other. The day ended with a plenary session on Front end, Open Source and WP5 Integration, Demonstration, and Validation.
The morning of the second day was devoted to an in-depth review of the status, the next steps and the risk mitigation strategies for each work package, so that all members of the consortium were aware of progress to date. To conclude the day, and the meeting, we resumed the session on pilot architecture so that each partner in charge of its leadership could present the ideas and issues discussed the previous day.
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Meet the people behind DATAMITE: Santiago Cáceres (ITI)
DATAMITE is an ambitious project with a consortium of 26 organisations from 11 countries, but beyond the numbers are the people. With the series "Meet the people behind DATAMITE" we want to introduce the people who work every day to achieve our ambitious goal: to deliver a modular, open-source and multi-domain Framework to improve data monetising, interoperability, trading and exchange in the form of software modules, training and business materials for European companies, empowering them to become new relevant players in the data economy.
Today we present Santiago Cáceres from ITI (Instituto Tecnológoco de Informática) and DATAMITE Project Coordinator. “I have been working in European research funding based projects for around 14 years, and my current interests are around the data cycle, from its generation to its exploitation and going through the transformation, artificial intelligence techniques, and so on”, he explains.
When asked what makes DATAMITE special, Santiago Cáceres is clear: “We believe that at the end the framework that we are developing is not going to stand there only for the companies that are within the project but to the outside community, to the European dimension out of it”.
Watch the full interview with Santiago Cáceres below.