In this profile, we invite you to discover Felix Bole, CTO at Visions and a recognised expert in the field of data spaces. Felix excels in consent management, contractualisation, and data exchanges within complex ecosystems. With a diverse career and a keen approach to information technology, he combines his technical skills with an artistic passion to offer innovative and cutting-edge solutions in the data space domain.
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
After evolving as a full-stack lead developer, I now hold the position of CTO, specialising in data spaces, focusing on consent management, contractualisation, and data exchanges within complex ecosystems. My expertise is not limited to the technical; with a rich background as a musician, composer, and sound engineer, I combine these skills as an Indie game developer. This allows me to merge all my passions and realise unique projects during my free time.
Can you explain your role at Visions and what it entails on a daily basis?
As the CTO at Visions, I lead all our technical projects while actively supporting our dynamic, albeit still modest-sized, team. My role extends beyond mere management, including advising and collaborating directly with our engineers to deploy innovative solutions. My primary mission is to represent Visions on the technical front during key meetings and strategic projects, significantly influencing debates and decisions on protocols and technical strategies within major data space initiatives such as IDSA and GAIA-X. Within the Prometheus-X project, I oversee the development of critical components, ensuring their interoperability and compliance with the standards and norms defined by these initiatives, thus guaranteeing our capacity to remain at the forefront of technological innovation in the data space field.
What are the challenges you prefer in your job?
The most stimulating challenges are those related to balancing the responsibilities of a CTO with those of a developer. Finding the balance between overseeing the overall technical aspects of the company and being directly involved in development is crucial. It forces me to stay updated on technological advancements while remaining pragmatic about the choices and solutions for various technical issues that the team may encounter.
Why did you choose to join Visions?
I am an early adopter of the company. I joined Visions in 2020 because the idea and concept were innovative and promised an interesting path and evolution in a sector that sees a lot of interest both in personal data management and in new technologies that require this data and with which Visions collaborates.
What elements distinguish Visions from its competitors in the sector?
Visions stands out in the sector for its proactive and innovative approach. We do not hesitate to seek information wherever it is and, most importantly, we constantly challenge received ideas to evolve them. Our active involvement in Prometheus-X, Gaia-X, and IDSA, as well as our ability to offer pragmatic solutions, often positions us as pioneers in adopting new ideas and concepts, thus enriching our field. It is this combination of initiative and innovation that makes Visions unique.
What are your short-term and long-term goals as a member of the Visions team?
In the short term, my goal is to increase Visions’ impact as a key player in implementing data space solutions, with a particular focus on adopting the standards and practices defined by leading initiatives in this field. In the long term, I aspire to make Visions an undisputed leader in the sector by making significant contributions to the evolution of consent management and contractualisation in data spaces, thus supporting sustainable growth and enhancing our industrial recognition. Through Prometheus-X, I am committed to leading the development of standards and open-source components that define methods for managing personal data on a large scale, placing Visions at the heart of the most responsible and innovative practices in our industry.
Can you share a project or experience at Visions that particularly marked you?
A project that particularly marked me at Visions is the development of the Dataspace Connector. Initially designed as a simplified solution to allow our partners to communicate effectively with Visions components, this project quickly grew to become a central element of Prometheus-X. This component has become indispensable, now interacting with the majority of actors and components of the project. Its rapid growth and increased importance have required us to adapt significantly, pushing us to innovate and continuously improve the product to meet the evolving needs of the ecosystem while seeking to distinguish it from other data space connectors available on the market. This experience has not only strengthened our technological position but also illustrated our commitment to innovation and effective collaboration within data spaces.
Felix Bole, with his technical expertise and passion for innovation, plays a crucial role at Visions. His versatile background and clear ambitions for the company’s future make him a valuable asset to our team and the data space industry as a whole. Under Felix’s technical leadership, Visions continuously enhances its technologies and solutions, pushing the boundaries of innovation in the field of data spaces.