Call for Open Access Book Chapters

Editors 

• Tuomo Tuikka, VTT
• Boris Otto, Fraunhofer ISST
• Edward Curry, University of Galway

Overview

Data spaces are emerging as a new paradigm for data sharing and collaboration across different domains, organisations, and cross-border. They are considered as the essential key to unlocking the potential of the European Data Economy, enabling the creation of federated data ecosystems that respect the sovereignty, security, and quality of data sources, while allowing for interoperability and value creation. Data spaces are especially relevant for addressing challenges that require cross-sectoral and cross-border data exchange, such as health, mobility, manufacturing or sustainability.

Developing data spaces is not a trivial task. It requires a clear vision, the parties’ motivation, a common governance framework, a set of technical standards, and a collaborative culture among data space participants. Moreover, data space development is an iterative and adaptive process that involves multiple stakeholders, feedback loops, and learning cycles. The European data ecosystem is now maturing rapidly, and it can provide practical exemplars that help the data space developer and practitioner community navigate the design process. Many of these emerging data spaces showcase the use of the Blueprint and assets provided by the Data Spaces Support Centre.   

Aims and Goals

This is a call for contributions to a book that collects experiences along the journey towards Common European Data Spaces and a thriving European Data Economy. The aim of the book is to educate the reader on practices and techniques for developing and deploying data space by detailing the latest technologies, methodologies, practices, and case studies. Perspectives can be from design, technical, regulation, governance, business, value creation, or a systemic point of view.  Emerging topics on data spaces, including their relationship with AI and AI Factories, are encouraged.

The book is of interest to two primary audiences: first, practitioners and industry experts engaged in data spaces development, operation, and exploitation. Second, decision makers who consider motivations and objectives for the transformation of their organisation, relating their context to the showcases. The audience of the book includes:

• ICT industry experts, engaged in data portals, data infrastructures, and data-driven innovation
• Researchers and Practitioners in the data management and data sharing infrastructures
• University Students and Professors from different disciplines, including Computer Science 
• Policy makers and decision drivers at local, national or international level

Topics

Topics of interest to the book include, but are not limited to, the following:

Area A: Data Space Practices

• Architectures, components, tools and techniques for data spaces
• Standardisation and Interoperability
• Lifecycle management and data governance
• Incentive mechanisms, Business Models, Marketplaces
• Sharing by Design, Ownership and Usage Control
• Privacy, Trust, and Data Protection
• Regulatory Compliance
• AI, AI Factories, and Data Labs 

Area B: Data Spaces Case Studies 

• Business use cases – user deployment
• System use cases – industry deployments
• MNC/SME driven use cases
• Public good use cases

Area C: Future Directions for Data Space

• Forward-looking roadmaps for research and innovation
• Open research challenges and opportunities

Schedule and Deadlines

1st Dec 2025	CFP
13th January 2026	Chapter proposal submission deadline (abstract only)
17th February 2026	Notification of proposal acceptance
20th March 2026	Full chapter submission
6th April 2026	Review comments
1st May 2026	Revised Chapter Submission   Along with response to reviewer comments Signed Copyright Agreement
Q2 2026	Estimated publication

Submission

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit chapter proposals on or before January 30th, 2026, a brief summary (abstract) consisting of title and 150-200 words clearly identifying the main objectives of your contribution and how it fits within the edited book. Authors of accepted proposals will be notified on 15th February 2026 about the status of their proposals and provided chapter formatting guidelines.

Chapter proposal must be submitted via email to dataspacesbook@vtt.fi

For further information, please contact the editors via dataspaceseditors@vtt.fi