What Technologies Make a Data Space Possible? From Cloud to Blockchain

Data are the new driving force of the digital economy. But for them to truly work, they must be shareable, processable and protected among companies, institutions and individuals in a secure way.

That is where Data Spaces come in: ecosystems where different stakeholders can collaborate, exchange information and create value from data — while always retaining control over it.

But what technologies are behind all this?

 

1. The Cloud: the heart that connects everything

Think of the cloud as the digital brain where data are stored, processed and analysed.

Thanks to secure cloud infrastructures, a Data Space allows different organisations — a university, an SME, a hospital or a public authority — to work with shared information without needing to store it all in the same place.

In other words, the data can continue to “live” on their original servers, while the cloud enables access, combination and analysis whenever needed.

This makes collaboration possible without losing data sovereignty or control.

 

2. Federated Learning: AI that learns without seeing your data

Traditionally, training an Artificial Intelligence model required gathering all data in a single location.

Federated learning changes that rule: it allows algorithms to learn from different sources (for example, several companies or research centres) without moving the data or breaching privacy.

Each participant trains the model with their local data and shares only the learning results — not the data themselves.

This enables the development of powerful and ethical AI models, fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

 

3. Blockchain and DLT: the guarantee of trust

In a collaborative environment where so much data circulate, trust is essential.

That is where blockchain or Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) comes in, allowing every operation to be recorded in a traceable, secure and transparent way.

Thanks to this layer, it is possible to know what data were used, when, by whom and for what purpose — preventing manipulation or misuse.

It is like having a digital audit notebook that no one can erase or alter.

 

4. Generative Artificial Intelligence: turning data into knowledge

Generative AI models (the kind that create texts, images or predictions) are what turn information into something useful and visible.

In a Data Space, this technology can automatically generate reports, visualise results or identify patterns that support decision-making.

Moreover, with the integration of multimodal models, it is possible to analyse different types of data — numerical, textual, visual or sensor-based — to obtain a more comprehensive picture of reality.

 

5. Security and Privacy by Design

All these technologies are combined under one key principle: protecting personal data and ensuring information security.

Zamora’s Smart Data Space is built with privacy by design, applying anonymisation and encryption techniques from the outset.

This ensures that innovation is built on a foundation of trust.

 

6. What is it all for?

The result is an integrated Data Space and Artificial Intelligence platform that will enable:

• The creation of collaborative environments where institutions and companies can share data securely.
• The training of AI models on distributed data without compromising privacy.
• The automatic generation of visualisations and reports using generative AI.
• Full traceability and transparency of the entire data lifecycle through blockchain.
• Easy access for researchers, startups and public administrations to experiment and develop new digital solutions.

Zamora: a hub for responsible innovation

With this project, the Smart Data Space Innovation Centre places Zamora on the map of Europe’s digital transformation, promoting a model of ethical, open and collaborative technology.

Because data, when properly managed, can improve mobility, healthcare, agriculture and tourism.

And thanks to Artificial Intelligence, the cloud and blockchain, that future is already being built — right here in Zamora.