conference paper published yes Marius Johannes Hupperz author Julian Zerbin author 517110009-0001-1003-7558 Julia Kunert author 563 department America’s Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) 2026 Data-driven business models are transforming industries, yet small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often lack the resources to participate in emerging data sharing initiatives. Data spaces provide a federated infrastructure for sovereign data sharing, but SME participation remains limited due to complex onboarding processes involving technical, organizational, legal, and economic barriers. Data trustees have been proposed as intermediaries to facilitate data sharing, but their specific role in supporting SME onboarding has not been systematically explored. Here we present a reference process for SME data space onboarding and derive four design principles, structured along the TELO framework, describing how data trustees can address these barriers. Our findings reveal that SMEs require comprehensive support throughout the onboarding journey, with particular emphasis on business case development. The results offer actionable guidance for data space operators and policymakers seeking to broaden ecosystem participation as the European Union advances its data strategy. 2026Reno - Nevada eng Data spacesdata trusteesSME Onboardingdata sharing Hupperz, Marius Johannes, et al. “Toward Design Principles for Data Trustee-Supported SME Onboarding in Data Spaces.” <i>AMCIS 2026 Proceedings</i>, 2026. @inproceedings{Hupperz_Zerbin_Kunert_2026, title={Toward Design Principles for Data Trustee-Supported SME Onboarding in Data Spaces}, booktitle={AMCIS 2026 Proceedings}, author={Hupperz, Marius Johannes and Zerbin, Julian and Kunert, Julia}, year={2026} } Hupperz MJ, Zerbin J, Kunert J. Toward Design Principles for Data Trustee-Supported SME Onboarding in Data Spaces. In: <i>AMCIS 2026 Proceedings</i>. ; 2026. M. J. Hupperz, J. Zerbin, and J. Kunert, “Toward Design Principles for Data Trustee-Supported SME Onboarding in Data Spaces,” presented at the America’s Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) 2026, Reno - Nevada, 2026. Hupperz, M. J., Zerbin, J., &#38; Kunert, J. (2026). Toward Design Principles for Data Trustee-Supported SME Onboarding in Data Spaces. <i>AMCIS 2026 Proceedings</i>. America’s Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) 2026, Reno - Nevada. M.J. Hupperz, J. Zerbin, J. Kunert, in: AMCIS 2026 Proceedings, 2026. Hupperz, Marius Johannes, Julian Zerbin, and Julia Kunert. “Toward Design Principles for Data Trustee-Supported SME Onboarding in Data Spaces.” In <i>AMCIS 2026 Proceedings</i>, 2026. 660732026-06-29T07:47:42Z2026-10-13T08:02:50Z