In the dynamic landscape of digital transformation, data interoperability—particularly for location data—is a key enabler of operational efficiency, innovation, and collaboration for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Despite their strategic importance, SMEs face significant challenges in integrating and utilizing location data, which puts them at a disadvantage in the increasingly digital global market. As part of the European DIS4SME project, this study proposes a methodology to address these challenges, characterized by the rigorous development of a training curriculum aimed at upskilling and retraining SME owners and employees. The curriculum emphasizes practical learning through real business case studies and is aligned with European policies such as the INSPIRE Directive and the European Data Strategy. Accordingly, ten courses were designed, forming a modular and hierarchical curriculum that addresses SMEs’ diverse needs. Initial feedback from the first managers’ pilot implementation suggests that the structured training program effectively equips managers with strategic decision-making skills to address location data interoperability challenges.

The architecture, engineering, construction, and operation sectors face significant sustainability challenges. Environmentally, it contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion. Socially, it must address issues such as worker safety and community impact. Economically, the sector struggles to balance cost efficiency with sustainable practices. Digital solutions are expected to support sustainable construction. Digital building permits (DBP) and digital building logbooks (DBL) provide examples of digital solutions that support sustainable construction and building management. DBP and DBL are intertwined to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the construction and building management processes. However, research on how DBP and DBL can address sustainability in practice is limited. To address this research gap, this study uses the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an analytical framework for the sustainability of DBP and DBL. The research consisted of four phases. First, an expert group identified and selected the SDGs related to DBP and DBL. Then, the experts identified the relevant targets of the selected SDGs. Subsequently, the expert group specified the DBP and DBL practices that supported the relevant targets. Finally, the expert group organised a workshop with external experts in the study area to verify the practices supporting the SDGs. The study identified DBP and DBL practices contributing to achieving 10 SDGs: 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, and 17. The findings suggest that DBL and DBL practices provide opportunities for environmental, social, and economic sustainability; however, further empirical research is needed. The study concluded that DBP and DBL practices can enhance energy management, reduce carbon emissions, improve resource utilisation, and reduce waste. They also support creating a built environment that is user-friendly and remotely accessible, as well as offering financial benefits and improving efficiency and transparency while minimising errors from human interpretation through automation.

The architecture, engineering, construction, and operation sectors face significant sustainability challenges. These include high greenhouse gas emissions, resource depletion, worker safety concerns, and difficulties balancing cost efficiency with sustainable practices. Digital solutions, such as Digital Building Permits (DBP) and Digital Building Logbooks (DBL), are increasingly promoted as enablers of sustainable construction and building management. However, there is limited research on how they contribute to sustainability in practice. This study applied the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an analytical framework to assess the sustainability impacts of DBP and DBL. A four-phase methodology was used: (1) expert elicitation to identify relevant SDGs, (2) mapping of DBP and DBL practices to SDG targets, (3) documentation of supporting practices, and (4) validation through a hybrid stakeholder workshop involving 38 participants from across Europe. The study identifies DBP and DBL practices that contribute to ten SDGs, including Good Health and Well-Being, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry and Innovation, Sustainable Cities, and Climate Action. The automatic code-compliance checking of DBP speeds up approval times, reduces errors, increases transparency, and supports carbon reduction, operational efficiency, and equitable access to permitting. It streamlines housing approvals, aiding affordable housing development. DBL facilitates energy-related data management, including the issuing of Energy Performance Certificates and comparing theoretical versus actual energy use. DBL also supports recyclability assessments and design for disassembly, aligning with the principles of the circular economy. This study provides a structured and replicable framework for evaluating the sustainability contributions of digital building permitting and logbooks. It demonstrates how DBP and DBL can be aligned with global sustainability targets, offering a foundation for future empirical research and policy development. Further work is needed to quantify long-term impacts and extend the analysis beyond the European context.

The digitalisation of building permit necessitates streamlined approaches for handling diverse and complex datasets. To meet this need, profiles of varied data sources are critical in distilling relevant information, addressing common concerns, and simplifying the use of interoperable data. Defining simplified profiles allows avoiding over-reliance on the entirety of available data, instead using constrained, modular representations tailored to specific regulatory and procedural needs. Drawing from principles of interoperability and practical applications, this chapter highlights existing and emerging practices in defining and managing such data profiles. It discusses how profiling standards like CityGML, IFC, XPlanung, and INSPIRE can improve practical interoperability to suit specific regulatory use cases. Machine-readable profiles can be used to validate whether available data meets processing requirements and ensure the reliability of digital workflows by automating compliance checks and linking disparate data sources. By leveraging profiling methodologies, digital building permit processes can achieve better data reusability, trusted automatic compliance checks, and integration of diverse datasets into cohesive workflows. This chapter reviews practices in the area and discusses how Linked Data approaches can support scalable solutions with modular, machine-readable profiles that can harmonise data while reducing complexity and enhancing traceability. <!----> <!----> <!----> <!---->

The growing deployment of European Data Spaces requires more than advanced technical infrastructures; it also demands specialised human competencies to ensure interoperability, governance, and trust. This paper redefines organisational readiness as a key indicator of the transition from experimental deployments to large-scale, governed data exchange. Although technical solutions provide the necessary foundation, training is essential to ensure that the digital transition is supported by professionals capable of operating these ecosystems effectively. To address the research question, “Which competencies are required to enable data reuse within Data Spaces?”, with a specific focus on spatial data and Urban Digital Twins, this study proposes a hybrid methodology. This approach combines a top-down analysis of reference architectures (e.g., EIF and DSSC Blueprint) with a bottom-up diagnosis based on an expert-based qualitative survey. Preliminary results suggest that, although 58% of organisations identify technical integration between BIM and GIS as the main obstacle, 47% identify the shortage of specialised skills as the primary bottleneck preventing operational maturity. The analysis reveals a Maturity Plateau that hinders the transition from technical connectivity (Data Space Maturity Model Level 2) to full operational maturity (Level 3). To overcome this barrier, the study presents a convergence matrix based on the DIS4SME initiative, mapping knowledge gaps to a competency roadmap. This framework identifies urgent training needs in the semantic and legal domains, and provides an operational guide for supporting organisational maturity across Data Spaces and strengthening professional expertise.