“We don’t want a winner-takes-all platform!”

IDSA has chosen six certification candidates, six projects and companies that are granted the opportunity to get their IDS Connector certified – and will be supported with 20,000 Euro. We will follow the certification process closely and will report about it here.

The connector certification will be performed by independent third parties, the IDS evaluation facilities. This concept review certification typically includes comprehensive reviews and testing. But it’s worth it: Receiving the third-party IDS certificate demonstrates that a connector complies with all requirements defined by IDS certification. Plus, it’s an independent validation and verification of the commitment to giving partners in data sharing the highest level of trust.

eSourcing for manufacturing SMEs

Let’s start with Tech2B, one of the front-runners on the journey to IDS Certification. The Dutch company saw an opportunity to digitally support SMEs and started an eSourcing environment to connect suppliers and buyers in the manufacturing and adjacent industries. We spoke to one of the founders, Sjors Hooijen, about their business model and why they applied to get certified.

On Tech2B’s digital platform companies can place, compare, and process orders. Buyers and suppliers can find each other here easily, work out an initial quote fast – and gain new business possibilities. Before launching their platform, they interviewed nearly 40 companies to understand the market needs. All businesses had digitalization problems: no standards, not having the right tools, often not even having any tools. So, after developing a platform Tech2B started in 2020 as a service provider for SME’s mainly located in the Netherlands. Now, two years later, more than 4500 companies are active and 415,000 companies are listed on the platform from all over Europe.  

The power of matchmaking

“We are not standing between buyers and suppliers.” They can do business on the platform without further involvement of Sjors and his team – finding each other through search functions and a standardized way of communicating and transactions. The power of this marketplace also relies on in an AI supported matchmaking of supply and demand. With the help of the SCSN network in the Netherlands, users activate the connector and start working. “This is the reason we implemented the IDS Connector,” explains Sjors. And the connector needs to be able to make all transactions possible for SMEs.

In the future, Tech2B wants to increase the reach of the platform and grow its capacity and features. “The big challenge for us is to meet supply and demand in the right ratio.” Their ambition is to make not only the order transactions possible, but to have complete product passport functionalities that can connect certificates from the origin of the product – with the help of IDSA.

Being one of the first to get certified

Each candidate has six months to get ready for the process. Sjors is confident: “I think we can be quite fast.” Tech2B’s vision is to make sure data sharing and data spaces are not only available for the bigger companies, but also for SMEs – right from the start. “That is why we want to be one of the first with a certified IDS Connector!”

IDS Certification marks a milestone towards data sovereignty based on the IDS approach. The badge of certification increases the trust in the company and the technology behind it.