Simpl
The European Commission’s open-source middleware, to connect data spaces.
- Status
- Programme under way
- Led by
- European Commission
- Onecub’s role
- Co-initiator of InfrateX, writing and coordinating its proposal
- Sector
- European infrastructure
The need.
European data spaces are multiplying. To connect, they need common building blocks that are neutral towards vendors.
Simpl is the European Commission’s open-source middleware. It provides reusable building blocks to access and exchange data with trust across European data spaces and cloud-to-edge federations: identity and trust, catalogues, usage policy enforcement, connectors and monitoring.
Onecub’s role.
- Co-initiator of the InfrateX consortium, with Sopra Steria and Digital New Deal.
- Writing and coordinating InfrateX’s response to the European Commission’s call.
- Studies on architecture and feasibility.
- Support for data spaces adopting Simpl, within a sector or across sectors.
The InfrateX consortium.
Led by Sopra Steria with NTT Data, InfrateX brings together 26 partners from 14 countries: data space technology providers, software vendors, cloud providers, universities, associations, certification bodies and SMEs. In 2023 it won a framework contract of the Simpl programme.
Onecub co-initiated InfrateX with Sopra Steria and the Digital New Deal think tank, then wrote and coordinated the consortium’s proposal. We provide architecture and feasibility studies, governance models and component integration to make Simpl deployable in operational data spaces.
- Sopra Steria
- NTT Data
- Digital New Deal
- PwC
- Innovalia Metrology
- deltaDAO
- Docaposte
- CloudFerro
- Dawex
- OVHcloud
- imec
- Eclipse Dataspace Components
- Cleyrop
Adopting Simpl, step by step.
- Assess.Map Simpl to your infrastructure and assess feasibility.
- Design.Select components: connectors, identity and trust, policy engine, catalogues.
- Integrate.Plug Simpl into your infrastructure and collaboration tools.
- Go live.Launch a first use case, measure, secure, scale.
- Evolve.Operations guides, monitoring, audits, upgrades in step with releases.
- Architecture and deployment plan
- Rulebook alignment
- Interoperability profile
- Pilot with indicators
- Handover and training
Where is the project?
Simpl has three strands: Simpl-Open, the open-source software stack; Simpl-Live, deployments in real data spaces; Simpl-Labs, a sandbox to test interoperability. The community met in Brussels in January 2026 for its annual event.
Further reading
In the InfrateX consortium
Start with Simpl?
Data space, public administration or provider: let’s talk about your path.
Or write directly to olivier@onecub.fr