The integration, adaptation and collaboration with Fiware solutions is a key element for the Dataports platform.
The main objective of the DataPorts platform is to provide the means for the creation of reusable data analytics services and cognitive applications for the ports. With this aim, a semantic framework able to describe and manage the data from the ports will be implemented in order to enable semantic interoperability. Moreover, this platform will allow sharing data among different organizations and stakeholders following the International Data Spaces approach in order to enable the continuous tracking along the supply chain through different ports, while ensuring data protection, privacy and data governance.
The implementation of some components of the DataPorts platform will be based on Fiware, Fiware enablers provide the basis for data access and semantic interoperability compoents. These include the connectors for the different data sources, the management of Context Information and the information model. The selected Fiware components will be adapted and integrated with the necessary new components that will complete the expected functionality of the DataPorts platform. In order to enable semantic interoperability, a common ontology based on the Fiware data models will be developed.
Fiware is nowadays one of the most relevant frameworks for IoT and provides a set of open standards, specifications of general platform components (called General Enablers) for the development of smart solutions for different application domains. The most important General Enabler is the Context Broker, which provides the necessary functionalities for the management of context information, enabling to perform updates and bring access to context. In addition, Fiware offers a wide catalogue of services, including different options for data storage, data analytics and visualization. Fiware also provides a standard data format and API specifications (Fiware NGSI), which simplify the management of Context Information and the integration of the solutions and offers open-source reference implementations of the General Enablers, which can be assembled and integrated with third-party components to build different smart solutions. The following picture shows an overview of the elements around Fiware Context Broker:
Moreover, the FIWARE foundation collaborates with the International Data Spaces Association (IDSA) in the development of an open source implementation of the IDS Reference Architecture based on the use of Fiware technologies. This implementation makes use of the Fiware Context Broker and other General Enablers to provide the necessary functionalities for data access and publication. Since last June the Industrial Data Space Association and FIWARE Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding which sets out the objectives and fundamental key data concerning the cooperation. These two associations of international companies, institutions and organisations are now pursuing a great common objective: the alignment and compatibility of architectures. This is to be guaranteed by continuous communication about the developments and specifications and by comparing and matching the respective architectures.