
Key questions to ask your collaboration in this step: | ||||||
1 | Establish common data definitions and frameworks Build a common language for data sharing by defining shared data terminologies, data formats, and data methodologies for your collaboration. Make sure to document your harmonization practices. |
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2 | Explore existing data standards Map out the existing landscape of circularity data standard (e.g., ISO, GS1, UN/CEFACT) and regulatory standards (e.g., ERSR) and consider if your collaboration can use these to standardize your circularity data and data sharing activities. Make sure to use standards that are relevant to your industry. |
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3 | Define data and insight requirements Revisit the vision, use case, and value drivers of your collaboration to outline key questions needed to answer to fulfill your goals. Outline the data needed to answer your questions and summarize your data requirements, using the worksheet on. |
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4 | Identify data sources Consider the data requirements and map them to the different actors of the value chain to understand the sources of your data. Discuss who will be responsible for quality assuring and sharing the data. |
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ISO (2024), Circular economy — Vocabulary, principles and guidance for implementation | |||||
The ISO 59000 family of standards offers a global consensus on circular economy definition and principles. These standards provide a comprehensive toolkit for implementation, covering vocabulary, strategies, business models, value networks, measurement, and evaluation. | |||||
ISO 59004 Vocabulary, principles, and guidance for implementation | |||||
ISO 59010 Guidance on transition of business models and value networks | ISO 59020 Measuring and assessing circularity performance | ISO 59040 Product circularity datasheet | ISO 59014 Sustainability & traceability of secondary material recovery | ||

Data sharing vision, ambition & value case | ||||||||||||
Data sharing use case | ||||||||||||
Value Chain | Design | Sourcing | Manufacturing | Logistics | Use & Resource Recovery | |||||||
Design | Tier N | Tier 2 | Tier 1 | Manufacturer / producer | Trade | Distribution | Use / Reuse | End-of-Life | ||||
Data Mapping | Materials, legal entities, locations & transactions | ERP | Services, legal entities, locations & transactions | |||||||||
Certification schemes & other data sources | ESG Data Sources | After sales Data | Reuse, Recycle, Discard | |||||||||


Participants 5 - 10 | Duration 1.0 hrs |
Key questions to ask your collaboration in this step: | ||||||
1 | Define roles and responsibilities Design the collaboration structure of your ecosystem by establishing clear roles and responsibilities. Consider how you will split the ownership and accountability of various data within the collaboration. |
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2 | Draft data sharing policies and principles Create rulebooks1 aligned with European data sharing policies (e.g., EU’s Data Governance Act and Data Act) on how you will use, store, retain, and protect data. |
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3 | Outline privacy and security measures Consider what privacy and security mechanisms you will integrate in your collaboration and way of working with data to drive safety. Outline the measures you will take before and during your collaboration, leveraging the Data Privacy and Security Framework. |
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4 | Build and enforce a data sharing culture Discuss how you will communicate and socialize in the ecosystem to ensure continuous engagement in the collaboration, increase share of learnings and best practices, and encourage a culture of ownership and progress. |
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PROCESSES Steps to govern and manage data throughout its lifecycle, used to standardize, increase efficiency in the data-sharing ecosystem | ||
POLICIES AND PRINCIPLES Rules that guide usage, storage, retention, and protection of data e.g., the EU’s Data Governance Act and Data Act and established principles in the collaboration | TECHNOLOGY ENABLEMENT Technology foundation that enables the execution of data governance activities with simplified tasks and automated processes | |
COLLABORATION STRUCTURE, ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES Structure defining collaborative relationships and accountability to drive the data governance | CULTURE AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT Communication and socialization in the ecosystem to ensure consistent onboarding, share of best practices, and increase of adoption | |
Design | Collaborate | Monitor |
Establish clear policies Define shared rules on how data is collected, stored, processed, and shared, aligned with existing regulations | Use a secure data platform Ensure all data shared between external stakeholders is shared in a safe manner (e.g., data space) | Conduct regular audits Regularly monitor systems and conduct security audits to identify and address security threats |
Integrate privacy early Incorporate privacy considerations into the design of the data sharing ecosystem | Control access Implement role-based access controls to limit data access to authorized people only | Assess risks Conduct periodic risk assessments to identify and mitigate potential risks |
Minimize data collection Design for minimal collection of data to only collect data necessary for the collaboration | Anonymize data Use techniques to anonymize data wherever possible to protect sensitive business information | Prepare response plan Develop and maintain an incident response plan to address data breaches promptly |
Global Chemicals Producer | Global Automotive Manufacturer | Automotive Recycler | ||||||||
Catena-X is a fundamental element for our recycling business. We benefit from much better access to secondary materials and a reliable source of qualitative primary data on the materials we purchase. | Catena-X is essential for sovereign data exchange in the automotive industry. Without this platform and network, sustainability simply isn’t possible—we can’t do it alone. | The secondary marketplace and product pass greatly simplify purchasing, giving us upfront material value and a leaner end-of-life process through better information. | ||||||||
Tier-n | Tier-2 | Tier-1 | OEM | Usage | Dismantle | Recycler | ||||
Products | Marketplace for Secondary Materials | Digital Product Passports | R-Strategy Assistant | Excerpt | ||||||
The ‘one up, one down’ principle ensures data privacy and security | ||||||||||
Value Chain Actor 1 | ↔︎ | Value Chain Actor 2 | ↔︎ | Value Chain Actor 3 | ||||||
Self-sovereign identity lets value chain actors store circularity data locally and share it securely, one step at a time, with direct value chain partners—reducing the risk of unauthorized access and ensuring better control over sensitive information. Note: This principle can also be applied to other data sharing models, e.g., a decentralized network model. | ||||||||||


Participants 5 - 10 | Duration 45 min |