NTT Communications (NTT Com) and NTT DATA announced that they will develop a data platform that interconnects with the Catena-X1 data platform in Europe to enable the secure global sharing of data.
The platform will be built with advanced proprietary technologies developed by NTT and incorporate knowledge gained from NTT undertakings involving Europe’s Gaia-X3 initiative for protecting data sovereignty.
The NTT group companies (NTT Com, NTT DATA, NTT) will provide security technologies, such as the Trusted Execution Environment (TEE)4 for hardware encryption, to protect the confidentiality of data and the programs used to analyze the data. They also will work with industry associations and companies to address their specific data-distribution needs, such as supporting carbon neutrality, resource recycling and stable electricity supply.
The Gaia-X initiative has been attracting attention as a result of its ability to enable open, transparent and secure data sharing among businesses and organizations. IDS,5 a key architecture advocated in Gaia-X, is being used by German automakers and IT companies to build the Germany-based Catena-X data space, fully enabling 1,000 automotive companies to share data securely beginning this summer. Japanese firms doing business with German automotive companies expect to be required to use Catena-X, but this would require adherence to Europe’s data-protection policy, thus making it difficult for Japanese firms to adhere concurrently to Japan’s data-protection policy. The challenge, therefore, will be to realize a system that interconnects with the European data space ecosystem6 while securely managing data in accordance with the applicable Japanese policy.
To realize such a system, the NTT group companies will draw on their recent experiences in conducting tests, building data infrastructure, and developing technologies in collaboration with industry associations and companies that require secure data sharing.
