What is a data space?

• As defined by the Data Spaces Support Centre, a data space is an interoperable framework, based on common governance principles, standards, practices and enabling services, that enables trusted data transactions between participants.
• Data spaces aim to be decentralised and standards-based, and to operate with an open, interoperable and sustainable approach. Data spaces may be purpose- or sector-specific, or cross-sectoral.
• To find out more about data spaces, take the 'Introduction to data spaces' course on Europeana's training platform.

What are the common European data spaces?

• Common European data spaces are being developed by the European Commission to support the growth of the digital economy in 14 strategic sectors and domains of public interest - from manufacturing and health to energy and culture.
• Data spaces ensure that Europe has a flourishing ecosystem of data sharing which offers alternatives to private and/or centralised platforms.
• The common European data spaces are funded by the Digital Europe programme of the European Union and will contribute to the successful implementation of the European data strategy.
• The 14 data spaces are supported by the Data Spaces Support Centre, established by the European Commission to create a network of data spaces’ stakeholders, identify common requirements and create a platform to share knowledge.

Why is the European Commission investing in data spaces?

• The 14 interconnected data spaces seek to harness the value of data for the benefit of European society and economy. They boost the development of new data-driven products and services in the EU, leading to a more interconnected and competitive EU data economy. They also offer participants a digital public space to share in; in data spaces, information is governed collaboratively and flows freely, offering possibilities for connections, innovation and discovery.
• The common European data spaces provide:
  • A secure and privacy-preserving infrastructure to pool, access, share, process and use data.
  • Clear and trustworthy data governance mechanisms allowing the use and reuse of data in a fair, transparent, proportionate and non-discriminatory manner.
  • An operating framework fully respecting European rules and values, in particular personal data protection, consumer protection legislation and competition law.

What is the common European data space for cultural heritage?

• The common European data space for cultural heritage enables the open and trustworthy sharing of cultural heritage data across Europe.
• Through Europeana.eu, the data space offers access to high quality multilingual heritage data - over 61,000,000 digitised cultural heritage items from more than 3,700 institutions. It also offers cutting-edge technical infrastructure, a suite of tools, standards and frameworks and a vibrant and collaborative community.
• Led by the Europeana Initiative, the data space empowers cultural heritage institutions and Member States to embrace and drive digital transformation.
• The deployment of the common European data space for cultural heritage is funded under the Digital Europe Programme of the European Union and is led by the Europeana Foundation with the support of the Europeana Network Association (ENA) and the Europeana Aggregators’ Forum (EAF), in collaboration with a consortium of 18 partners from nine EU countries.

What is Europeana’s role in the common European data space for cultural heritage?

• The common European data space for cultural heritage builds on the achievements of the Europeana Initiative - politically and financially supported by the European Commission and the Member States over the past two decades.
• Work to deploy the data space led by the Europeana Foundation with the support of the Europeana Network Association (ENA) and the Europeana Aggregators’ Forum (EAF), in collaboration with a consortium of 18 partners from nine EU countries. See the consortium partners.
• Together, the three pillars of the Europeana Initiative (Europeana Foundation, Europeana Network Association and Europeana Aggregators’ Forum) steward the data space.
• The data space builds on the Europeana Initiative’s accomplishments and more than 15 years of expertise on topics from - from open data and community-building to data aggregation.
• As steward of the data space, the Europeana Initiative leads its operational deployment, in close cooperation with consortium partners. We do that while upholding and nurturing the shared goals, values and principles of the community we serve.

What are the strategic priorities of the common European data space for cultural heritage?

The data space strategy 2025–2030 sets out three shared priorities for partners participating in the data space:

• Develop a robust, interoperable data space infrastructure while increasing the diversity and quality of its cultural heritage collections;
• Facilitate access to cultural heritage collections and their reuse across sectors;
• Support the digital transformation of the cultural heritage sector through capacity building, networking and innovation.

Across all priorities, AI, 3D and extended reality, and multilingualism are key areas of collaboration and development. The Europeana Initiative’s Vision 2030: Adapt. Adopt. Aspire. Achieve supports these priorities for the data space and is fully aligned with the strategy.

How does the common European data space for cultural heritage interact with other data spaces?

• The data space consortium is working to ensure that the data space for cultural heritage is interoperable with the data spaces ecosystem to facilitate cross-sector data sharing.
• In particular, the data space for cultural heritage collaborates through the data space for tourism through the DEPLOYTOUR project, and with the Media data space (TEMS).

Who are the stakeholders of the common European data space for cultural heritage?

• The data space offers the opportunity to dramatically expand the accessibility of Europe’s cultural heritage, and with its scope, has a number of different stakeholders. These include decision makers at EU and national levels; the data spaces ecosystem; other EU heritage initiatives; the cultural heritage sector; and the general public - from culture lovers to curious minds.
• Many within these groups will also be beneficiaries of and contributors to the common European data space for cultural heritage - from museums to research institutions, students to tourism stakeholders, creative industries to European organisations.

How should I refer to the common European data space for cultural heritage?

• The common European data space for cultural heritage should be written in lowercase, as used on this webpage. Only the word ‘European’ is capitalised.
• Following the first use of its full name (the common European data space for cultural heritage) in a text, it can be referred to as the ‘data space’. This should also be written in lowercase.
• The European Commission Expert Group on the common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage (CEDCHE) is written with some capitalisation, as shown in bold.

What is the relationship between the common European data space for cultural heritage and the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage?

• The common European data space for cultural heritage (‘data space’) is Europe’s public infrastructure to democratise access to high-quality, multilingual cultural heritage data.
• The European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (‘Cultural Heritage Cloud’) is Europe’s collaborative digital infrastructure for research, science and innovation in cultural heritage.
• While fulfilling distinct roles and responding to different needs, the data space and the Cultural Heritage Cloud together create added value for the cultural heritage sector and offer tangible benefits for cultural heritage Institutions, professionals, researchers, private enterprises in the field and open data communities.
• Jointly, the data space and the Cloud enhance the opportunities for sharing, exploration and transformation of digital heritage at scale, supporting the preservation, understanding, dissemination and valorisation of cultural heritage in Europe.
• The two initiatives have complementary roles to play and the alignment of their goals and priorities, as well as their technical interoperability would allow the cultural heritage community to extract the maximum set of benefits and move towards a new way to work.
• In March 2026, the data space and cultural heritage cloud signed a joint statement outlining nine concrete commitments to unlock their combined potential. Read it in full.

Where can I find information about the data space?

• The data space website offers a gateway to explore the rich data offer, products, frameworks, tools, activities, events and projects, as well as the vibrant community and committed network of partners that bring the data space for cultural heritage to life.
• The website provides access to key data space products, including the millions of digitised cultural heritage items available through Europeana.eu, the Europeana APIs, Statistics Dashboards and training platform.