Press release -
NIIS Announces Proof of Concept for Revolutionary X-Road 8 “Spaceship”
The Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS) is thrilled to announce the start of a proof of concept to develop a new major version of the X-Road.
The X-Road 8 “Spaceship” nurtures the proven ecosystem model and security while it takes X-Road to the next level by providing a solid data space infrastructure.
Additional features such as enhanced monitoring and metrics and advanced cloud compatibility are expected to make X-Road 8 an outstanding solution for any public or private organisation.
With the proof of concept, NIIS aims to validate the feasibility of replacing X-Road’s custom protocol stack with data space protocol stack and align X-Road’s trust framework with the Gaia-X trust framework.
Gaia-X is an initiative that develops, based on European values, a digital governance that can be applied to any existing cloud/edge technology stack to obtain transparency, controllability, portability and interoperability across data and services.
Close to the current concept of the X-Road ecosystem, data space is a distributed system defined by a governance framework that enables secure and trustworthy data transactions between participants while supporting trust and data sovereignty.
"Making X-Road a data space solution creates value through additional features, reduces the need for custom development, increases interoperability and provides new opportunities for X-Road users in Europe and worldwide. Combining the strengths of X-Road and data spaces will make X-Road 8 "Spaceship" an outstanding solution", says Ville Sirviö, CEO of NIIS.
The project also tries to ensure smooth integration with previous X-Road versions for backwards compatibility, estimate the changes required for information systems when transitioning to X-Road 8, and assess potential changes to existing X-Road components.
The proof of concept results are expected for review in May 2024. The second half of the year will witness another project to test the results within Estonia’s X-Road ecosystem.
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Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS) is a non-profit association with the mission to ensure the development and strategic management of X-Road® and other cross-border solutions for digital government infrastructure.
NIIS is both a network and cooperation platform and executioner of IT developments in members’ common interests. The institute focuses on practical collaboration, sharing of experience and promoting innovation. The operating model of the institute is something unique in the world.
The republics of Estonia, Finland and Iceland are members of NIIS, and the Faroe Islands and the Government of Åland are partners of NIIS.
