north.io GmbH is responsible for the development of the Fish-X Data Space. This includes developing a common understanding of the data landscape and a suitable data structure as well as developing a corresponding integration concept.
This makes it possible to identify the data sets, which originate from different sources, qualities and formats, and to integrate them into the data space. Another important step is the development of an overarching access control system that allows data from different areas of the data room to be accessed securely and merged for different areas of application.
This is a crucial step in fulfilling data protection and security requirements in the fisheries sector and ensuring the secure exchange of sensitive data. Similarly, north.io is responsible for pre-processing the data to prepare it for further analyses and ensure that it can be processed consistently and efficiently. The development of suitable data structures and pre-processing steps ensures high efficiency and scalability.
The Fish-X Data Space enables the establishment of a data ecosystem and creates a central location where fisheries-related data can be offered and fisheries authorities, industry and consumers can obtain information about, for example, fishing or vessel monitoring systems.
Thanks to Gaia-X, data owners can use secure and trusted channels for data exchange while retaining full control over their data. The Insight platform is a user-friendly, web-based interface that visualises fishing activities and makes them understandable and traceable for the end user.
Vessel locations, activity reports and environmental data are used to analyse the patterns of fishing activities. The traceability app aims to maximise transparency and traceability in European fish and seafood supply chains.
The comprehensive digital transformation of the EU fisheries sector represents a unique opportunity to harmonize environmental and socio-economic challenges and promote a transition to a sustainable fishing industry. But before this can happen, stakeholders face several challenges: There is still a lot of illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing. It is also not always possible to accurately track yields. In addition, small-scale fishing businesses in particular face challenges due to the development of fish stocks and competition with other coastal activities.
There are already several European portals for information on oceans and fisheries resources (e.g. CMEMSCopernicus Marine Services, EMODNet ocean observation networks, ICES thematic data portals, etc.). In addition, fisheries administrations have been collecting digital data for decades (e.g. VMS, logbooks, landings), but these are difficult to collate and link together and are rarely used for forecasting purposes. Each of these data sources has its own data policy, with restrictions due to sensitive data (e.g. commercial intelligence services).
As part of the three-year Fish-X project (1st of June 2022 – 31st of May 2025), co-funded by the European Union and worth around 6 Mio. Euros, the Fish-X Data Space, based on Gaia-X, the Insight platform as the user interface and the Traceabiliy app, an application for traceability, are being developed.
Gaia-X represents the next generation of data infrastructure ecosystem: an open, transparent, and secure digital ecosystem, where data and services can be made available, collated and shared in an environment of trust. The architecture of Gaia-X is based on the principle of decentralisation. Gaia-X is the result of many individual data owners (users) and technology players (providers) – all adopting a common standard of rules and control mechanisms – the Gaia-X standard.
As part of the three-year Fish-X project (1st of June 2022 – 31st of May 2025), co-funded by the European Union and worth around 6 Mio. Euros, the Fish-X Data Space, based on Gaia-X, the Insight platform as the user interface and the Traceabiliy app, an application for traceability, are being developed.
The Fish-X project is co-funded by the European Union (European Union's Horizon Europe Programme).
