Biosecurity Dataspaces

The Challenge

Increasing cross-border trade and travel, combined with a changing climate, has dramatically heightened the risk of new pests and diseases entering, establishing and spreading. All countries are therefore facing a wide range of biosecurity risks that can have far-reaching consequences on the economy, environment, and human health.

As a result, domestic and international governments now require more stringent surveillance efforts to demonstrate that regions are free from specific pests or diseases. However, the sheer number of pests and diseases, along with the vast areas to be covered, makes it impossible for governments to address all surveillance needs alone. 

In response, governments are partnering with industry to combine surveillance efforts and share data. Plant Health Australia (PHA), a collaboration between the Australian Government, State and Territory Governments, and industry peak bodies, has developed AUSPestCheck®, a national aggregation database for plant health surveillance. Despite the security and flexibility of AUSPestCheck®, the large number of data owners and varying policy or legislation requirements makes efficient data exchange challenging.

To govern data sharing and use in the biosecurity sector, assessment is needed of how clear, standardised policies and frameworks can be implemented. With secure, efficient and trustworthy data exchange, the benefits of sharing surveillance data from multiple sources inform policy and biosecurity responses may be realised.

The Response

Supported by co-investment from the ARDC, Plant Health Australia (PHA) and Biosecurity Commons are piloting a dataspace – a trusted environment where organisations can share data while retaining full control over its use. In the dataspace, the biosecurity surveillance data remains under the control of the originating organisation but can be accessed according to agreed governance and data usage policies.

The project will assess the existing data sharing capability in AUSPestCheck® compared with the development of a proof-of-concept dataspace connection to operationalise effective sharing of forest surveillance data between AUSPestCheck® and Biosecurity Commons for modelling and analysis. Key requirements for data sharing will be explored to ensure they abide by data governance requirements set by the data contributors in both government and industry partner agencies.

The project will apply existing principles, policies and technical guidelines outlined in the International Data Spaces Association (IDSA) Rulebook to ensure secure and interoperable data exchange.

This work will demonstrate the ability of the dataspace to comply with diverse data owner requirements and will inform recommendations for how dataspaces could potentially be used to securely share data in other areas of the biosecurity sector, improving collaboration between government and industry bodies.

Who Will Benefit

Government

A dataspace for biosecurity surveillance data will help enhance national biosecurity efforts by facilitating seamless data sharing and collaboration. With improved data accessibility, governments can make informed decisions about trade and respond more quickly to emerging pest and disease threats. This will lead to more effective biosecurity policies, better resource allocation, and stronger compliance with international trade requirements.

Industry

Streamlined and secure data sharing will help protect industry supply chains against biosecurity risks to maintain access to domestic and international markets and provide datasets that support improved biosecurity preparedness. The dataspace will allow industry groups to contribute surveillance data with greater confidence, knowing that data sharing would be performed according to their specific data requirements.

Researchers 

Researchers involved in biosecurity will benefit from improved access to surveillance data. They will be able to engage with high-quality data, find more research opportunities, and conduct more in-depth analysis of biosecurity threats.

The Partners

• Plant Health Australia
• ARDC
• The University of Melbourne (via Biosecurity Commons)
• MTP Services

Target Outcomes

The pilot project will assess the feasibility of, and lay foundations for, the establishment of a dataspace around AUSPestCheck®. If established, the dataspace will support evidence-based biosecurity efforts by offering access to reliable data, enhancing data accessibility and governance, and providing timely access to data to enable rapid responses to emerging biosecurity threats.

Key Resources

Learn more about dataspaces in an Australian context.