Towards Secure and Interoperable Data Spaces for 6G: The 6G-DALI Approach

2026-02-18

AI Summary

This work proposes a federated data space and DataOps infrastructure that integrates the GAIA-X and IDSA architectures to address the urgent demand for secure, trustworthy, and compliant data sharing in 6G distributed heterogeneous environments. By incorporating dynamic trust management, edge-based low-latency processing, and cross-domain federation mechanisms, the proposed framework enables efficient and interoperable data collaboration through policy-driven data contracts, federated identity management, and automated data pipelines. The resulting architecture significantly enhances the orchestration efficiency and experimental feasibility of AI-driven services in 6G scenarios while ensuring robust security, scalability, and regulatory compliance.

Technology Category

• Machine Learning: Distributed Machine Learning & Federated Learning
• Search and Optimization: Distributed Search
• Application Domains: Internet of Things, Sensor Networks & Smart Cities

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Federated Web and WoT systems, including distributed, federated and edge-based data processing
• Security and Privacy: Data transparency and provenance
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Federated recommendation systems and personalization

Abstract

The next generation of mobile networks, 6G, is expected to enable data-driven services at unprecedented scale and complexity, with stringent requirements for trust, interoperability, and automation. Central to this vision is the ability to create, manage, and share high-quality datasets across distributed and heterogeneous environments. This paper presents the data architecture of the 6G-DALI project, which implements a federated dataspace and DataOps infrastructure to support secure, compliant, and scalable data sharing for AI-driven experimentation and service orchestration. Drawing from principles defined by GAIA-X and the International Data Spaces Association (IDSA), the architecture incorporates components such as federated identity management, policy-based data contracts, and automated data pipelines. We detail how the 6G-DALI architecture aligns with and extends GAIA-X and IDSA reference models to meet the unique demands of 6G networks, including low-latency edge processing, dynamic trust management, and cross-domain federation. A comparative analysis highlights both convergence points and necessary innovations.

Problem

• 6G
• data spaces
• interoperability
• secure data sharing
• federated data

Innovation

• federated dataspace
• DataOps
• policy-based data contracts
• dynamic trust management
• 6G data architecture