Skyward secure: Advancing drone data-sharing in 6G with decentralized dataspace and supported technologies

Abstract

The capacity of Dataspace enables the distribution of heterogeneous data from several sources and domains and has attracted attention for resolving data integration challenges. Drone data sharing faces challenges such as protecting privacy and security, building trust and dependability, controlling latency and scalability, facilitating real-time data processing, and preserving the caliber of shared models. Therefore, sixth-generation (6G) networks provide high throughput and low latency to improve drone operations; security issues are exacerbated by the sensitive nature of shared data and the lack of centralized monitoring. To address the challenges, this paper presents a conceptual framework for a Dataspace in the Sky to enable secure and efficient drone data-sharing within 6G networks in the transition from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0. The Dataspace in the Sky integrates Federated Learning (FL), a decentralized Machine Learning (ML) approach that enhances security and privacy by sharing models instead of raw data, facilitating effective drone collaboration. However, the quality of shared local models often suffers due to inconsistent data contributions and unreliable recording mechanisms, which can undermine the performance of FL. To tackle the challenges, the framework employs blockchain (BC) to decentralize and secure the Dataspace, ensuring the integrity of contribution records and improving the reliability of shared models. Dataspace in the Sky empowered decentralized data sharing which addresses latency issues by decentralizing decision-making and enhances trust and reliability by leveraging immutable and transparent BC mechanisms. The robustness of Dataspace in the Sky solution is not only secures drone-sharing operations in 6G environments but enables the development of citizen-friendly mobility services, expanding opportunities across smart environments. © 2025 The Author(s)