IPA takes leadership and responsibilities on dataspace architecture for global interoperability

Spearheading strategic data sharing across sectors, enterprises, industries, and national borders amidst “Data Is Eating the World”

Overview

Digital Architecture Design Center, Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan (IPA DADC) has commenced advisory for developing dataspace protocols and middleware, as a neutral organization leading ODS, to selected project contractors within the “Project for the Development and Pilot of a Data Sharing System to Realize the Ouranos Ecosystem” (Note 1) by NEDO. Through the Project, IPA DADC takes a leadership and responsibilities on designing the architecture of the ODS to ensure vendor-agnostic and internationally interoperable dataspaces without any lock-ins to specific companies.

In recent years, DADC has been examining technical paradigms to realize strategic data sharing with sovereignty of the data providers across divisions, enterprises, industries, and national borders, under the Oranos Ecosystem initiative, to achieve the societal implementation of “data spaces” (Note 2) in the industry.

This fiscal year, DADC plans to revise the “Ouranos Ecosystem Data Spaces Reference Architecture Model” (ODS-RAM) (Note 3) for further expansion and penetration of the ODS within the industry. This technical reference document was developed and published in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan (METI), in result of architecture design activities of the IPA DADC. Additionally, DADC plans to compile the ODS Guidebook to assist the ODS participants in building and joining data spaces.

1. Note 1
   Commences New Projects for the Realization of the Ouranos Ecosystem - Selecting 9 Themes, Including Data Space Infrastructure Development and Promotion Projects -

   • by Nedo
2. Note 2
   IOFDS (International Open Forum on Data Society) defines:“Data Space” is a decentralized ecosystem with common policy and rules defined by a governance framework that enables secure and trustworthy data transactions between participants while supporting trust and data sovereignty.
3. Note 3
   Whitepaper: Ouranos Ecosystem Dataspaces Reference Architecture Model

   • Chief Architect: Michitaka Tsuda

Members with authority and responsibilities

The architecture design for ODS and the advisory activities for selected project contractors in the Project will be carried out under the Chief Architect with the following members:

Chief Architect: Michitaka Tsuda

Department

Information Analyst Officer, Digital Architecture Design Center

Biography

Michitaka Tsuda graduated from Osaka University. Tsuda demonstrated early leadership by founding a fintech software startup during his university years (Founder, CEO/CTO). Following his career of business consultant at MC Digital Inc., Tsuda entered the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry through the National Examination for Comprehensive Service. At METI, Tsuda was responsible for Unmanned Aircraft System Lines policy and Ouranos Ecosystem policy at Commerce and Information Policy Bureau. In shaping Ouranos Ecosystem policy, Tsuda designed and authored the ODS-RAM as Chief Architect. Additionally, as a project leader of the PIVOT Project (a new policy initiative for young professionals within the Minister's Secretariat), Tsuda authored the “Digital Economy Report: Survival Strategies for a Digital Market without Sanctuary, Amidst Data is Eating the World.”

• Figure 1 below is excerpt from NEDO’s official website to provide an overview of the Project. Readers may refer to the website for more details:
  • Technical details of the public tender of the Project for the Development and Pilot of a Data Sharing System to Realize the Ouranos Ecosystem (p.3)

• Readers may refer to the detail of NEDO’s “Project for the Development and Pilot of a Data Sharing System to Realize the Ouranos Ecosystem” at:
  • Project for the Development and Pilot of a Data Sharing System to Realize the Ouranos Ecosystem

1. Note 4
   Concurrently serve as the Business Architect for “Project for the Development of a Chemical Substance Data Sharing System/ Development of Chemical Substance Data Traceability Management System” (C-1) within NEDO's “Project for the Development and Pilot of a Data Sharing System to Realize the Ouranos Ecosystem”, as DADC.

Background

As warned in the “Digital Economy Report: Survival Strategies for a Digital Market without Sanctuary, Amidst Data is Eating the World” (Note 5), published by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, data that defines the competitiveness of software creating added value in services is truly the “oil” of the digital industry amidst “data is eating the world”, driven by the AI revolution.

With the reversal of roles between software and hardware becoming typical in industries such as automotive, satellite, and robotics, software-oriented strategic data sharing is no longer just a management issue but one that determines an enterprise's competitive advantage itself.

Foreseeing the advent of such a world, Japan is promoting a series of initiatives as the “Ouranos Ecosystem.” This aims to realize DFFT (Data Free Flow with Trust), an international concept advocated by Japan, by connecting multiple systems and promoting data sharing across divisions, companies, industries, and national borders. Through this concept, we advance data, system, and business collaboration, striving to strengthen enterprise and industrial competitiveness through public-private cooperation.

1. Note 5
   Digital Economy Report: Survival Strategies for a Digital Market without Sanctuary, Amidst Data is Eating the World

   • by METI

Globally Pioneering Models and Industrial Activities

In February 2025, IPA DADC and METI, jointly released the “ODS-RAM”, a technical reference document for the Ouranos Ecosystem initiative, as a globally pioneering model, taking into account international industrial trends and the efforts of various governments.

• Whitepaper: Ouranos Ecosystem Dataspaces Reference Architecture Model

The ODS-RAM is a service-oriented architecture model designed to expedite the societal implementation of dataspaces within the industry. (Figure2) The ODS-RAM presents a technical paradigm that allows for more flexible adaptation to the characteristics of industry and market structures, and commercial practices while maintaining a certain level of logical compatibility with the International Dataspaces Reference Architecture Model (IDS-RAM).

• Readers may refer to the Whitepaper for more details:
  • Ouranos Ecosystem Dataspaces Reference Architecture Model (PDF:3.7 MB)

Furthermore, as an industrial activity, in March 2025, IPA and Catena-X Automotive Network e.V. have successfully completed a Proof of Concept (PoC) for interoperability between two independent data spaces, demonstrating that different ecosystems can be interconnected while maintaining regional sovereignty. The results of this PoC serve as a crucial starting point for future interoperability efforts, not only for the ODS (Automotive Industry Data Sharing) and Catena-X but also for other data spaces that both ecosystems aim to connect with.

Future Directions

Through these activities, IPA DADC promotes strategic data sharing with data sovereignty, tackling pressing societal challenges such as labor shortages, intensifying natural disasters, and the transition to decarbonization—issues that require cross-divisional, -enterprise, -industry, and -border responses. By driving data-driven innovation, IPA DADC continues contributing to Japanese economic growth in the global market.