Data Providers and Consumers (with and without legacy systems) provide and process data to interoperate with other ecosystem participants using core and data services and business applications.

They independently operate a data room connection and must adhere to role-specific standards to ensure interoperability and data sovereignty between ecosystem participants and business applications. In addition, no specific certifications are required for the role.

In addition, with mutual consent, data providers and demanders can use data sources (e.g., from other enterprise networks) to enrich data provided to the Catena-X data room via connectors.

Core Service Providers operate core services that enable the basic functionality of the Catena-X data space (e.g. Identity Provider, Marketplace). This Core Service Provider is responsible for providing the services commercially, operating and maintaining them, and supporting the release of the core services in the data space.  It actively markets the core services and is the contractual partner for partners such as application providers and data providers/consumers.  

The Core Service Provider is required to certify their company as a Catena-X Operating Company or Partner and their services as a Catena-X Solution. Core Services offered in this role must comply with relevant standards to ensure data sovereignty and interoperability between different Core Service Providers. The core service provider must ensure synchronization of organizational and user identities. In the future, synchronization will extend to other information such as marketplace entries.  

For core services that can only be operated once in the Catena-X data space for business reasons or due to technical limitations, the association must nominate a provider. These core services are therefore put out to tender to ensure high data security standards and availability. Furthermore, membership in the association is mandatory. It ensures that the association's values and rules are taken into account.

Enablement Service Providers provide data room participants with solutions for using data in the Catena-X data room and operate data services such as Connector as managed services that must be used by each data room participant depending on the use case.

Enablement Service Providers must comply with relevant standards to ensure interoperability and data sovereignty between ecosystem participants and business applications at the application level.

As an enablement service provider, you are required to certify your managed services as a Catena-X solution.

Business Application Providers operate business applications that solve a specific business problem (e.g., traceability, demand and capacity management, circular economy). Business applications can range from enterprise solutions to specialized solutions for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Business applications must meet use case standards (e.g. Product Carbon Footprint Rulebook) and be certified according to software certification criteria to be listed on the Catena-X marketplace or be part of an interoperable value chain process.

As a business application provider, it is mandatory to certify your business applications as a Catena-X solution.

On-Boarding Service Providers enable data providers/consumers to be integrated into the Catena-X network. This includes organizational and technical integration.

Since the technical integration requires, for example, a BPN, the use of the services requires bilateral coordination with the company providing the services if it is not the company operating the services.

The integration process of a new data provider/consumer into the Catena-X network must comply with Catena-X standards. Potential subscribers can therefore be fully integrated into the Catena-X network by an On-Boarding Service Provider.

An On-Boarding Service Provider can enable connectivity of its customer base to the Catena-X ecosystem (network-to-network interoperability). The focus is on synchronizing organizational and user identities, as well as enabling single sign-on authentication, rather than synchronizing services, business applications or data. The goal is to provide your customers with standardized access to the Catena-X data space as well as to the marketplace offerings in the Catena-X data space. This network-to-network interoperability must be certified to Catena-X standards.

Optionally, the On-Boarding Service Provider may allow Catena-X access to the on-boarding service provider's network. In doing so, the network does not have to comply with Catena-X standards.