diff --git a/deployment/docker-compose.yml b/deployment/docker-compose.yml
index e09875a..2e40c9b 100644
--- a/deployment/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/deployment/docker-compose.yml
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ services:
             MYW_TASK_QUEUES: ${MYW_TASK_QUEUES:-}
             # START CUSTOM SECTION
             # END CUSTOM SECTION
+        volumes:
+            - shared-data:/shared-data
 
     iqgeo:
         build:
@@ -76,6 +78,8 @@ services:
             # END CUSTOM SECTION
         ports:
             - ${APPSERVER_PORT:-80}:8080
+        volumes:
+            - shared-data:/shared-data
 
     keycloak:
         container_name: keycloak_${PROJ_PREFIX:-myproj}
@@ -112,3 +116,7 @@ volumes:
         name: ${PROJ_PREFIX:-myproj}_pgdata-example15
         # START CUSTOM SECTION
         # END CUSTOM SECTION
+    shared-data:
+        name: ${PROJ_PREFIX:-myproj}_shared-data
+        # START CUSTOM SECTION
+        # END CUSTOM SECTION  
diff --git a/deployment/dockerfile.appserver b/deployment/dockerfile.appserver
index ae300cc..fc2a4c7 100644
--- a/deployment/dockerfile.appserver
+++ b/deployment/dockerfile.appserver
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ COPY --chown=www-data:www-data --from=iqgeo_builder ${MODULES}/comms/ ${MODULES}
 # Copy in generated bundles
 COPY --chown=www-data:www-data --from=iqgeo_builder ${WEBAPPS}/myworldapp/public ${WEBAPPS}/myworldapp/public/
 
+# Give www-data user ownership of the shared directory
+ENV SHARED_DIRECTORY=/shared-data
+RUN mkdir -p ${SHARED_DIRECTORY}
+RUN chown -R www-data:www-data ${SHARED_DIRECTORY}
+
 
 USER www-data
 
diff --git a/deployment/dockerfile.tools b/deployment/dockerfile.tools
index bc77ef2..fa30ca5 100644
--- a/deployment/dockerfile.tools
+++ b/deployment/dockerfile.tools
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ COPY --chown=www-data:www-data --from=iqgeo_builder ${WEBAPPS}/myworldapp/dist $
 RUN chown -R www-data:www-data entrypoint.d && \
     chown www-data:www-data entrypoint.d.sh
 
+# Give www-data user ownership of the shared directory
+ENV SHARED_DIRECTORY=/shared-data
+RUN mkdir -p ${SHARED_DIRECTORY}
+RUN chown -R www-data:www-data ${SHARED_DIRECTORY}
+
 USER www-data
 
 # add additional entrypoint scripts (build db, ...)