IDERHA is building one of the first pan-European health data spaces, using a federated “compute-to-data” model aligned with the emerging EHDS and enabling new principles for secure data access, interoperability and evidence generation. This approach is designed to support healthcare professionals, patients, and researchers with improved analytical capabilities and more personalised care pathways.
Following completion of the architectural design in year 1, the project advanced into technical implementation, deploying core federated services, metadata publishing, data-discovery workflows and early federated learning capacity. The consortium defined the minimum requirements for alignment with EHDS, including user journeys, terminology standards, and interoperability models—supported by joint work with clinical partners preparing the first IDERHA nodes. Engagement with external experts has intensified through multi-stakeholder workshops, the public forum event, and meetings with HTA bodies, parallel project teams, regulators and the Integrated Data Access Governance Council (IDAGC), ensuring coherence with emerging policy and regulatory expectations. IDERHA continues to apply a strongly patient-centered approach, guided by the Patient Advisory Board and complemented by the establishment of Clinical and Ethics Advisory Boards. Substantial progress was achieved in governance: the Data Management Plan and DPIA framework were expanded into a unified, multi-layer governance system underpinning compliant processing of heterogeneous data across all nodes. These components also support the implementation of a Joint Controller Agreement (JCA), designed to streamline data access and reduce future administrative burden. In parallel, sustainability activities advanced through dedicated working groups developing the long-term operational model, ensuring that the data-space infrastructure, governance processes and onboarding procedures remain viable and accessible beyond the duration of IHI funding.
