---
_id: '66073'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: 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.
author:
- first_name: Marius Johannes
  full_name: Hupperz, Marius Johannes
  last_name: Hupperz
- first_name: Julian
  full_name: Zerbin, Julian
  id: '51711'
  last_name: Zerbin
  orcid: 0009-0001-1003-7558
- first_name: Julia
  full_name: Kunert, Julia
  last_name: Kunert
citation:
  ama: '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.'
  apa: 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.
  bibtex: '@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} }'
  chicago: 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.
  ieee: 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.
  mla: Hupperz, Marius Johannes, et al. “Toward Design Principles for Data Trustee-Supported
    SME Onboarding in Data Spaces.” <i>AMCIS 2026 Proceedings</i>, 2026.
  short: 'M.J. Hupperz, J. Zerbin, J. Kunert, in: AMCIS 2026 Proceedings, 2026.'
conference:
  end_date: 2026-08-22
  location: Reno - Nevada
  name: America’s Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) 2026
  start_date: 2026-08-20
date_created: 2026-06-29T07:47:42Z
date_updated: 2026-10-13T08:02:50Z
department:
- _id: '563'
keyword:
- Data spaces
- data trustees
- SME Onboarding
- data sharing
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- url: 'https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2026/sigadit/sigadit/5 '
publication: AMCIS 2026 Proceedings
publication_status: published
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: Toward Design Principles for Data Trustee-Supported SME Onboarding in Data
  Spaces
type: conference
user_id: '51711'
year: '2026'
...