diff --git a/openeo_driver/ProcessGraphDeserializer.py b/openeo_driver/ProcessGraphDeserializer.py
index 59ccb256..28b9e2ae 100644
--- a/openeo_driver/ProcessGraphDeserializer.py
+++ b/openeo_driver/ProcessGraphDeserializer.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 from openeo.capabilities import ComparableVersion
 from openeo.metadata import MetadataException
 from openeo_driver.backend import get_backend_implementation, UserDefinedProcessMetadata
+from openeo_driver.datacube import DriverDataCube
 from openeo_driver.delayed_vector import DelayedVector
 from openeo_driver.errors import ProcessParameterRequiredException, \
     ProcessParameterInvalidException
diff --git a/openeo_driver/backend.py b/openeo_driver/backend.py
index 615aaeaf..7aabafaa 100644
--- a/openeo_driver/backend.py
+++ b/openeo_driver/backend.py
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import List, Union, NamedTuple, Dict
 
-from openeo import ImageCollection
 from openeo.internal.process_graph_visitor import ProcessGraphVisitor
 from openeo.util import rfc3339
+from openeo_driver.datacube import DriverDataCube
 from openeo_driver.errors import CollectionNotFoundException, ServiceUnsupportedException
 from openeo_driver.utils import read_json, EvalEnv
 
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ def get_collection_metadata(self, collection_id: str) -> dict:
         """
         return self._get(collection_id=collection_id)
 
-    def load_collection(self, collection_id: str, viewing_parameters: dict) -> ImageCollection:
+    def load_collection(self, collection_id: str, viewing_parameters: dict) -> DriverDataCube:
         raise NotImplementedError
 
 
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ def file_formats(self) -> dict:
         """
         return {"input": {}, "output": {}}
 
-    def load_disk_data(self, format: str, glob_pattern: str, options: dict, viewing_parameters: dict) -> object:
+    def load_disk_data(self, format: str, glob_pattern: str, options: dict, viewing_parameters: dict) -> DriverDataCube:
         # TODO: move this to catalog "microservice"
         raise NotImplementedError
 
diff --git a/openeo_driver/datacube.py b/openeo_driver/datacube.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6abc6509
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openeo_driver/datacube.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+from openeo.metadata import CollectionMetadata
+
+
+class DriverDataCube:
+    """Base class for "driver" side data cubes."""
+
+    def __init__(self, metadata: CollectionMetadata = None):
+        self.metadata = metadata if isinstance(metadata, CollectionMetadata) else CollectionMetadata(metadata or {})