How to link data spaces for citizens? Join us at SEMIC 2019 to discover the role of semantic interoperability!

Fidel Santiago, Programme manager for the ISA² Programme, Interoperability Unit, Directorate General for Informatics, European Commission

According to the Oxford dictionary, ‘space’ can have various meanings, such as ‘a continuous area or expanse which is free, available, or unoccupied’ or ‘the freedom to live, think, and develop in a way that suits one’. Both definitions can give us an idea on what trans-European data spaces may represent in the context of digital public services: a series of continuous areas available to use and to experiment with interoperable cross-border digital public services. These spaces also provide the freedom to develop innovative and pioneering digital public administrations.

Trans-European data spaces are linked to digital public services that are empowered, or even enabled, by new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). AI solutions that learn from data are already available to public administrations and support them in serving citizens and businesses.

Trans-European data spaces also support the transactional exchange of information between public administrations in a cross-border, cross-domain and semantically rich manner, without forgetting the once only principle or data protection.

This year at the SEMIC conference, we would like to explore the link between semantic interoperability and trans-European data spaces and their benefits for Europeans. We will approach this topic both from an innovative technologies point of view, AI, and from a transactional point of view around actual exchanges of information between public administrations.

SEMIC 2019 is organised by the ISA² Programme in collaboration with the Finnish presidency of the Council of the EU. The event will take place on 21 October 2019 in Helsinki. Register as soon as possible!

What is SEMIC conference about?

The SEMIC conference is an annual international conference on semantic interoperability. It has been bringing together experts and decision makers from European public administrations, EU institutions and agencies, and the private sector since 2011. The objective of the conference is to provide our growing community with an opportunity to exchange experiences on how to produce, manage, exchange, publish, consume and exploit data; and to raise awareness on the need for semantic interoperability. At the same time, SEMIC allows speakers and participants to discuss their strategy for digitalisation and the role of data and semantic interoperability in their strategies.

The event is part of the ISA² SEMIC action that deals with semantic interoperability. This action supports the development and dissemination of data models and specifications providing a standardised format for describing the typical elements of digital public services, e.g. persons, businesses, public organisations or public services. Moreover, SEMIC facilitates the exchange of experience and knowledge by practitioners in the area of semantic interoperability through a community of over 3,000 members from over 50 countries.