Nordic_Institute_for_Interoperability_Solutions
Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions
Non-profit organization
The Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS) is a non-profit established in 2017 by Estonia and Finland,[1] with the mission "to develop e-governance solutions...with the X-Road technology used nationwide in the Estonian X-tee and in the Finnish Suomi.fi Data Exchange Layer services".[2] It is funded by both countries, with around 1M€ annually.[1] In 2019, Iceland was invited as well,[3] and later the Faroe Islands.[4]
The NIIS manages, develops, verifies, and audits X-Road's source code; administers documentation, business and technical requirements; conducts development; develops and implements principles of licensing and distribution; provides second-line support for members, and engages in international cooperation.[5] It also shares vendor training and certifications on its technology.[6]
The institute has been coined as "a pioneer of cross-border e-governance solution" [7] and "a key component of its digital diplomacy and digital foreign policy work",[6] "unique in the world".[8] In 2020, the Digital Public Goods Alliance found the X-Road technology managed by NIIS was found to be a digital public good in alignment with the Digital Public Goods Standard.[9] Its CEO, Ville Sirviö,[9] is often referenced in international publications.[10][11]
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