Core EHDS Services - WP4
Work Package 4 (WP4) plays a central role in transforming the PROTECT‑CHILD technical vision into an operational European Health Data Space-ready platform, providing the core execution and orchestration services that make the platform usable in practice.
At the heart of WP4 are the PROTECT‑CHILD capsules and the PROTECT‑CHILD orchestrator, which together enable secure, distributed and standards‑compliant data processing across the PROTECT‑CHILD ecosystem.
From infrastructure to operational services
WP4 focuses on enabling the secure processing environment required by the EHDS. This is achieved through the deployment of PROTECT‑CHILD capsules at participating sites, where data remain under the control of data holders while being made available for authorised processing.
These capsules are complemented by the PROTECT‑CHILD orchestrator, which coordinates activities across the distributed environment, ensuring that data discovery, access permissions, and data use follow the defined EHDS user journey.
Rather than introducing new analytical frameworks, WP4 integrates and operationalises services developed in other work packages, ensuring they can run reliably, securely, and at scale.
What is being developed in WP4
Secure Processing Environments: PROTECT‑CHILD capsules
WP4 develops the core capsule services, implementing transactional data handling functionalities and aligning them with the common data and metadata standards adopted in the project. The capsules support:
- Secure handling of clinical and genomic data within local environments
- Alignment with FHIR and OMOP standards
- Execution of ETL processes needed to make data usable within the platform
Through the capsules, services related to data discovery, data preparation and data use can be executed in a privacy‑preserving manner, without centralising sensitive data.
Platform‑wide orchestration
The PROTECT‑CHILD orchestrator is another key outcome of WP4. It provides the coordination layer that connects distributed capsules and supports the EHDS user journey across different phases.
The orchestrator enables the integration of:
- Data discovery and feasibility services
- Governance and permit‑related services
- Data use services for analysis and aggregation
By doing so, WP4 ensures that all interactions across the platform are coordinated, traceable, and compliant with the project’s governance framework.
Operational readiness through DevOps
WP4 also addresses the operational sustainability of the platform. It introduces CI/CD, DevOps and MLOps practices to support the deployment, maintenance and continuous evolution of both capsules and orchestrator services.
These tools support:
- Automated deployment and configuration of capsules
- Lifecycle management of secure processing environments
- Platform maintenance and technical support over time
This ensures that PROTECT‑CHILD services are not only designed correctly, but are also reliable and maintainable in real operational settings.
Looking ahead
Over the project lifetime, WP4 will continue to integrate and support services across the platform, preparing the ground for pilot studies and real‑world validation. Its focus on secure execution, orchestration and operational tooling ensures that PROTECT‑CHILD is not only innovative, but also practically deployable and sustainable.
WP4 turns PROTECT‑CHILD from an infrastructure into a functioning ecosystem, capable of supporting secure, distributed and ethical use of paediatric health data across Europe.
Author: Matteo Gabetta, Biomeris