A Reference Architecture for Agricultural Data Spaces: Case Study from DIVINE Project

This paper presents a novel Data Space driven architecture to address persistent challenges in data interoperability, security, and real-time analytics within agriculture. Leveraging the EU-funded DIVINE project as a framework, the proposed reference architecture (RA) unifies heterogeneous agri-data sources—ranging from IoT sensors and farm management platforms to open registries—and enforces data sovereignty through policy-based governance and semantic interoperability. The RA is validated through a Slovenian pilot focused on benchmarking dairy and pork production, where an automated data collection pipeline, privacy-preserving data sharing mechanism, and a knowledge extraction service collaboratively generate performance indicators. The integrated solution aims to significantly reduce manual efforts, mitigate security risks, and foster stakeholder trust by aligning with GDPR and other European and national regulations. Conclusively, the RA offers a scalable, replicable blueprint for harnessing Data Space capabilities to elevate agricultural productivity and sustainability across diverse contexts beyond the Slovenian pilot.