Frequently asked questions

The Gaia-X project was created to enable the secure, open and transparent use of data. In this way, informed decisions can be made about how and where data is stored, processed and utilised within the data infrastructure. Gaia-X is characterised by the following core elements:

• Creating the next generation of data infrastructure for Europe, its states, its companies, its citizens, and its global partners.
• This infrastructure needs to meet the highest standards and foster innovation. This infrastructure is seen as the cradle of an ecosystem, where data and services can be made available, collected, and shared in a trusted environment.
• The concept centres on user needs and the additional benefit as presented by the use cases
• Existing concepts will be considered as a proposal for Europe. This path is being followed with other European partners and in co-operation with the European Commission

There are three reasons why we need GAIA-X:

• Data sovereignty: Existing cloud offerings are currently dominated by non-European providers who are able to scale their infrastructures quickly, and who hold significant market power and large amounts of capital. At the same time, there are growing international tensions and trade conflicts around the world. Europe needs to ensure that it can establish and maintain digital sovereignty on a permanent basis.
• Data availability: we need a reliable, secure and transparent data infrastructure that can be used for data exchange and processing. Only in this way can the economies of scale created by the availability of large data sets in Europe be utilised.
• Innovation: what is needed is a digital ecosystem that enables the development of innovative products and helps European companies and business models to scale up and become globally competitive. Gaia-X provides that foundation.

Gaia-X's organisational structure is based on three bodies: the Gaia-X Association, the national Gaia-X Hubs and the Gaia-X Community. Within these, there are various working groups and committees. Exchange between the pillars, and in relation to other stakeholders (e.g. European Commission, international initiatives) is ensured.

The Gaia-X Association is an international non-profit association under Belgian law (French: Association Internationale Sans But Lucrative, abbreviated: AISBL). It aims to develop regulatory frameworks, ensure that the necessary services are made available, consolidate and facilitate work and collaboration within the Gaia-X community, represent Gaia-X members and promote international cooperation.

Gaia-X will promote and support an open-source software community in which all contributors are welcome. The Gaia-X Community works together on a common platform based on workpackages. Members and non-members collaborate side by side, both from the user's and the supplier's point of view.

Gaia-X aims to create standards, foster software communities and facilitate the creation of Data Spaces. Gaia-X therefore focuses on three deliverables:

• Architecture specifications that describe Gaia-X functionalities and provide compliance criteria.
• Open-source software to ensure an open implementation of federation services and further enable an open-source community.
• Conformance instruments, including methods and tools for conformance testing and service compliance.

Gaia-X hubs act as the voices of user ecosystems at national level. They develop ecosystems, group national initiatives, and provide a central point of contact for stakeholders in their respective countries. All Gaia-X hubs coordinate closely to ensure international alignment on their activities, defining requirements, and identifying regulatory obstacles. The network of Gaia-X Hubs will support the growth of a dynamic ecosystem from a bottom-up approach, from a national level to a European and international level.

Set up on 26 May 2021, as a joint initiative between the Secretary of State for the Digital Transition, the Gaia-X AISBL Association and TICE.PT - Information, Communication and Electronic Technologies Hub, the Portuguese Hub is the national initiative to promote and boost the data and infrastructure ecosystem in a secure and federated way, in line with European values and standards. The Gaia-X Hub Portugal will connect potential Gaia-X stakeholders, spread the interest of Portuguese users across Europe and the world, liaise with the Gaia-X Association to define relevant requirements, regulations and policies, consolidate relevant initiatives within Portugal and ensure efficient cooperation within specific industries/verticals.

It will thus be a vehicle for partners in the Portuguese data business ecosystem to bring their initiatives and objectives to Gaia-X, thereby contributing to its consolidation and evolution.

Knowing that it is not possible to do everything through the central Gaia-X AISBL, the Gaia-X Hub Portugal assumes itself as the main communicator in the country, speaking the same language and aiming to be a neighbourhood contact. Specifically:

• It acts as an ambassador in Portugal for Gaia-X
• Identifies Portugal's specific needs and high-priority Data Spaces
• Collaborates with other Hubs to develop common pan-European Data Spaces
• Makes Gaia-X a reality in Portugal by identifying projects and creating Gaia-X services on the market
• Helps implement the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan more effectively by adopting Gaia-X solutions
• Promotes the participation of new members in the association
• Provides feedback on specific needs and requirements to be implemented under Gaia-X.

More information is available on the Gaia-X website.

If you have any questions, please contact the Gaia-X Hub Portugal team.