In partnership with the Open Data Institute and Inrupt Inc., the EDM Association hosted a webinar titled One copy of the truth – Sir Tim Berners-Lee on Solid and the future of enterprise data. This article summarizes the discussion from the webinar itself, and also provides additional information about the Solid protocol and the launch of a collaborative Community of Practice.
Webinar Live Date: July 14, 2026
Speakers:
- Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Inventor of the World Wide Web, Co-founder/CTO, Inrupt Inc. and Co-founder, Open Data Institute
- John Bruce, Co-founder and CEO, Inrupt Inc.
- Jesse Wright, Project Lead – Solid, Open Data Institute
- Elisa Kendall, Senior Ontologist, EDM Association
- Jim Halcomb, Chief Research & Development Officer, EDM Association
- Moderator: Emma Thwaites, Strategic Advisor, Global Policy and Corporate Affairs, Open Data Institute
Solid and the EDM Association Solid Community of Practice
Solid is a privacy-by-design protocol, built on standard web technology that aims to bring agency and interoperability to how data is used. Rather than each application holding its own copy of a person’s or organisation’s data, Solid stores it in a Pod: an online data store with fine grained access control linked to the person or organisation in question, rather than the specific app they’re using. Because Pods use open, linked-data standards, the same data can be reused across organisations without bespoke integration, and stays under the control of the person or entity it describes. Solid was developed by Sir Tim Berners-Lee‘s lab at MIT, nurtured by a global community, and is incubated through the W3C Solid Community Group and standardised by the Linked Web Storage Working Group.
The Open Data Institute (ODI) became Solid‘s steward in October 2024, bringing more than a decade of experience in responsible data innovation. Its stewardship ensures the infrastructure develops to benefit society, with governance that reflects community values and standards that enable global interoperability. The ODI maintains Solid’s open-source foundations, is supporting the standardisation of parts of Solid technology in the Linked Web Storage group, and catalyses use-case pilots that demonstrate real impact.
This webinar marked an exciting next step for Solid and the ODI: partnering with the EDM Association to convene a Community of Practice around the standard. The group is aimed at making Solid ready for real-world use in finance, healthcare and government, with conformance anchored to Cloud Data Management Capabilities (CDMC) and sector mappings built on assets such as the Financial Industry Business Ontology (FIBO). More information on the community, and how you or your organisation can join can be found at the bottom of this message!
The Webinar in Brief
This webinar explored the origins and evolution of Solid, an open standard designed to give individuals greater control over their personal data while enabling organisations to build applications using a shared, interoperable data architecture. It reflected on how the web has evolved from an open, collaborative environment into one characterised by data silos and centralised platforms, positioning Solid as an alternative approach that allows individuals to control how their data is accessed and used.
The conversation also examined the relationship between Solid and AI, explaining how AI agents can access only the information an individual has granted permission to use rather than relying on centralised copies of personal data. The speakers also discussed how this model can help organisations build customer-facing AI applications while addressing challenges around data access and permissions across multiple systems.
During the Q&A, the discussion covered topics including data ownership, verifiable credentials, permission-based access, and the practical steps organisations can take to begin piloting Solid through an initial use case. The session concluded by noting that growing interest in AI is creating new opportunities for organisations to explore Solid as a foundation for data access and AI-enabled applications.
The Solid Community of Practice: Your gateway to the future of enterprise data
If you or your organisation would like to learn more about Solid, and be part of this work, the community of practice is open to new members! We encourage you to join the Solid Forum via EDMConnect and help shape the future of enterprise data management.
Forum meetings begin on September 10, 2026, and full meeting information is available on the EDMConnect Solid Forum.