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Innovalia and Dawex Partner to Accelerate Secure Industrial Data Sharing Across Europe

9 December 2025

Innovalia has entered a strategic partnership with Dawex to expand the adoption of secure, sovereign data spaces across Spain’s industrial sector and into broader European markets. The agreement brings together Innovalia’s long-standing expertise in industrial R&D and digital transformation with Dawex’s specialised data-exchange technology—an increasingly essential infrastructure component as Europe advances toward a unified data economy.

Speaking to MoveTheNeedle.news, an Innovalia spokesperson outlined how the collaboration supports the company’s mission to help industrial organisations build trustworthy, high-value data ecosystems capable of improving operations and enabling new models of collaboration.

Innovalia’s Shift Toward Connected Digital Infrastructure

Innovalia, founded in 2000, is known across Spain and Europe for its work in advanced manufacturing, industrial metrology, and applied research across key sectors such as automotive, aerospace, energy and mobility. In recent years, the group has broadened its services to include digitalisation, industrial IoT integration, simulation, and analytics. The company frequently leads or participates in European R&D projects around Industry 4.0, cybersecurity, and smart manufacturing.

The Dawex partnership is a natural extension of this trajectory. As Innovalia puts it, the collaboration “aligns with our digital transformation strategy by combining our expertise in R&D, industrial innovation, and digital service delivery with Dawex’s Data Exchange technology.” The goal is to help customers move beyond digital tools implemented in isolation and toward interconnected data ecosystems where industrial data flows safely between departments, facilities, and partners.

This step reflects a broader industry trend: digital transformation is no longer about installing standalone IoT systems or analytics dashboards, but about creating structured environments where data can be shared, monetized, or reused with clear rules and governance.

Dawex and the Emergence of the European Data Economy

Dawex, founded in France in 2015, develops technology that enables organisations to share data securely, traceably, and in compliance with European regulations. Its Data Exchange Solution (DXS) is used to build and operate data spaces—shared environments where participants can publish, access, and govern industrial or commercial data under mutually agreed-upon policies.

The company has played an active role in shaping Europe’s approach to sovereign data-sharing through pilot projects and contributions to frameworks such as Gaia-X and IDSA. This experience places Dawex at the centre of the EU’s ambition to create a single market for data, enabling innovation while preserving sovereignty and control.

For Innovalia’s clients—many of whom must meet strict regulatory, safety, or quality standards—this makes Dawex an appealing partner.

A Partnership Fully Aligned With Gaia-X, IDSA, and the EU Data Strategy

Europe’s regulatory direction was central to Innovalia’s choice of partner. The company emphasises that the collaboration “is fully aligned with the Gaia-X and IDSA initiatives, as well as with the European Data Strategy published by the European Commission.”

These frameworks share a core objective: ensuring that European organisations can exchange data securely, maintain control over their assets, and build interoperable infrastructures across borders and industries. For manufacturers navigating pressures around decarbonisation, digitisation, and supply-chain transparency, these rules are not simply bureaucratic—they shape how future industrial systems will operate.

By integrating Dawex technology, Innovalia aims to prepare its clients for participation in upcoming EU-wide data spaces in manufacturing, mobility, energy, health, and logistics.

Unlocking Value From Industrial Data

Industrial companies have spent years collecting machine data, sensor readings, production KPIs, and supply-chain information. Yet, much of that data remains trapped within departmental silos or legacy systems.

The Innovalia spokesperson explains that the partnership gives customers “access to Dawex’s Data Exchange Solution (DXS), along with enhanced professional services including orchestration, consulting, and IT integration.” This enables companies to create and operate data spaces that structure how data is shared, governed, and consumed—within their organisation and with external partners.

Industrial firms can then unlock value in several areas:

  • Predictive maintenance through shared machine and component data

  • Real-time supply chain visibility

  • Collaborative product improvement with suppliers

  • Quality optimisation supported by multi-party data flows

  • R&D acceleration through shared experimentation data

The concept moves companies from internal analytics to networked intelligence.

Improving Day-to-Day Industrial Operations Through Trusted Data Sharing

Manufacturing and industrial environments rely heavily on coordination. Disconnected information flows often mean delays, inconsistent decision-making, and duplicated effort.

Secure data spaces change this dynamic by establishing trusted environments where companies can exchange data without compromising sovereignty or compliance. “Trusted environments for data exchange enable enhanced collaboration, optimized supply chains, and better operational decision-making,” Innovalia explains.

Traceability—knowing exactly who accessed what data, when, and under which contractual terms—is a key factor in building trust. For industries with strict certification requirements, this level of transparency is essential.

A Practical Example: Predictive Maintenance Powered by Shared Data

One concrete scenario illustrates the value clearly.

A manufacturer can publish machine performance data—such as vibration, temperature, or wear indicators—into a controlled data space. Certified suppliers or maintenance partners can access the data under predefined governance rules. By pooling high-quality operational data, these partners can develop more accurate predictive maintenance algorithms and offer service models tailored to real-world conditions.

As Innovalia notes, “companies can reduce downtime, improve product quality, and accelerate innovation.” Because data spaces enforce sovereignty and compliance, this collaboration happens without exposing sensitive information or intellectual property.

Overcoming Caution Around Data Sharing

Despite the potential benefits, many organisations remain hesitant to share data externally. Concerns typically centre on security, competitive risk, or regulatory exposure.

Innovalia argues that the partnership tackles these concerns directly. “Trust is ensured through Dawex’s technology for secure, traceable, and compliant data exchange, combined with Innovalia’s consulting and governance services.” The combination of technical safeguards and organisational support allows companies—especially SMEs—to participate confidently.

Integration With Digital Twins, IoT, and Existing Industrial Systems

Companies have already invested heavily in digital twins, IoT platforms, MES, PLM systems, and cloud environments. Replacing these tools is unrealistic.

Here, interoperability is crucial. According to Innovalia, “data spaces integrate directly with existing industrial tools through standardized connectors.” This means:

  • Digital twins can consume trusted real-time data

  • IoT systems can publish sensor streams to shared ecosystems

  • Analytics platforms can access higher-quality datasets

  • No internal systems need to be rebuilt

Data spaces become a layer of connectivity, not a replacement for existing infrastructure.

Supporting Adoption—Especially Among SMEs

Data-space adoption requires more than technology; it also involves governance, change management, and strategic alignment. Innovalia says it will play an active role in guiding customers through this transition.

“We provide seamless integration of data-exchange solutions into customers’ existing systems, especially for SMEs,” the spokesperson says. This includes faster deployment, customised configurations, and ensuring interoperability with existing ecosystems.

For SMEs, which often lack the resources for large-scale digital transformation, this support is critical.

What Success Looks Like

Innovalia defines success across two time horizons.

Short term:

  • Fast and efficient deployment of Dawex solutions

  • Clear, demonstrated benefits for early clients

  • Early adoption among SMEs

Medium term:

  • Creation of a trusted and scalable data-sharing ecosystem

  • Broader industry adoption across Spain and Europe

  • Tangible innovation outcomes and measurable business value

The aim is not simply to install new software, but to establish a functioning industrial data ecosystem that can grow over time.

Positioning for Europe’s Data-Driven Industrial Future

Europe is moving quickly to build sector-specific data spaces that will reshape how companies collaborate, innovate, and operate. Against this backdrop, the Innovalia–Dawex partnership positions both organisations at the centre of a market undergoing rapid transformation.

As the European data economy matures, the ability to exchange industrial data securely and transparently will become not only a competitive advantage but a requirement. Through this collaboration, Innovalia and Dawex are equipping industrial companies for that shift.