Reporting with impact on the current and future state of open data

The growing demand for digital skills and the development of generative artificial intelligence are redefining the role of open data in the economy and society. This rapid expansion brings with it needs and questions in terms of regulation, governance, interoperability, equity and sustainability.

In this context, baseline reports and analyses provide insight into the current situation , help identify what is working, and point to where collective efforts are headed. In this post we compile some reports and resources that help us understand where we are and where we are going in the field of open data. The selection is designed both for people with technical and professional profiles in the sector and for those who are approaching this field for the first time.

Data as a strategic resource

The expansion of artificial intelligence and the data economy are driving new ways of understanding data management and governance. Beyond their openness or availability, different reports focus on how to facilitate effective reuse, and maximize their potential to generate value. Concepts such as strategic data management, data commons or the figure of data stewards are emerging, which seek to respond to the challenges related to access, interoperability, trust and the responsible use of information.

The Case for Strategic Data Stewardship brings to the fore one of the main challenges today: the existence of large volumes of data that, in practice, cannot be reused due to technical, legal, organizational and cultural barriers. The report notes that concerns about potential misuse of data, the race to develop AI systems, and increasing regulatory complexity have favored the concentration of data access in a few organizations and made collaboration difficult. As a result, it describes a scenario called "data winter", characterised by access restrictions for research and public policy, rising transaction and compliance costs, and the reluctance of some data subjects to facilitate their reuse.

Faced with this situation, the work introduces the concept of strategic data stewardship as a proactive practice that goes beyond regulatory compliance and seeks to facilitate responsible and effective reuse of data. This approach focuses on boosting cross-sectoral collaboration and building sustainable mechanisms for exchange and trust. According to the report, strategic data management is an essential element in the AI era, as it allows governance principles to be translated into practice and favors the use of data with social impact.

The study also proposes to strengthen the role of data stewards , giving them a more strategic role within organizations to reduce frictions that hinder the access and reuse of information. This is particularly recommended reading for data teams and governance leaders in the public sector.

In a similar vein, the report Data Governance in Open Source AI, prepared by the Open Source Initiative and Open Future, connects data governance with the development of open artificial intelligence. The document starts from the same paradox as the previous report: data are abundant and scarce at the same time. Abundant because a priori all the content of  open websites is potentially training material for AI models; and scarce because the highest quality and most representative data is still difficult to obtain and share.

To address this situation, the report proposes adopting a data commons approach that, in addition to promoting the openness of data, develops more robust governance models, capable of protecting rights and guaranteeing equitable use. The second proposal of Data Governance in Open Source AI is to expand the universe of relevant actors, to prevent data management for artificial intelligence from being left in the hands of a few. Thus, it considers it necessary to include content managers, data custodians and affected communities, to encourage their collaboration with technical teams and to create, select and share new datasets in a responsible way. It is a relevant document to understand the balances in the current data ecosystem.

The current state of open data. Where are we?

If previous reports focused on new governance models and the challenges associated with the strategic reuse of data, the following studies allow us to broaden our perspective and analyse the current situation in the field of open data, serving to understand the degree of maturity of data policies and the evolution of reuse.

The State of Open Data 2025 is one of the benchmark reports on open data in research. Published annually by Digital Science, this year celebrates a decade of continuous analysis, offering a broad perspective. On the one hand, the report shows that open data has gone from being an aspiration to being a reality, driven by increased knowledge, the adoption of the FAIR principles and the development of new tools. On the other hand, the study also points out that obstacles persist such as lack of resources and technical support and poor recognition. Among its conclusions, it highlights the need for data openness to be integrated into the research culture, ceasing to be perceived as an additional burden.

On the other hand, the Study supporting the evaluation of the free flow of non-personal data regulation, open data directive and data governance act, published by the European Commission, analyses in an integrated way the operation of three of the most relevant standards of the European data framework: the Regulation for the free flow of non-personal data in the European Union, the Open Data Directive and the  Data Governance Act.

The study highlights the positive impact of the Open Data Directive on increasing the reuse of public sector information, but also points out the weaknesses of the system, such as fragmentation in implementation between Member States, low adoption of the new governance models provided for in the Data Governance Regulation and the need for greater regulatory coherence. At a time when Europe is working to overcome its regulatory fragmentation through the proposal for the Digital Omnibus Regulation , this report provides an understanding of what has worked and what needs to be reviewed. It is especially useful for professionals and policymakers in the field of data.

The comparative perspective between countries is offered by two resources whose complementary reading can be very useful. The Digital Government Index and Open, Useful and Re-usable Data Index, prepared by the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), assesses the level of digital maturity of governments and their open data policies, with special attention to whether the data is really useful and reusable by citizens and businesses. The index analyzes the availability of data, its accessibility, and government support for its reuse. This report is particularly relevant because it offers a comparative view between countries and allows us to understand how to move towards a digital transformation centred on people and based on the effective use of data.

In addition, the Open Data Maturity Report 2025 assesses the state of the open data ecosystem in the countries of the European Union along four dimensions: policy, portal, quality and impact. This report collects European good practices in open data and is particularly interesting because it explains how open data policies are implemented, and not just what results are obtained. Both reports allow the identification of strengths and gaps, and constitute reference tools to guide improvement strategies in the public sector.

Capabilities and trends

But what does the future hold? The last two resources that we compile in this post look ahead, both from the point of view of human capabilities and from the trends that will mark the coming years.

The report New Economy Skills: Building AI, Data and Digital Capabilities for Growth, published by the World Economic Forum, addresses a less visible dimension, but decisive for the future, such as talent. The expansion of artificial intelligence and data-driven technologies are widening the digital skills gap at a speed that educational institutions and labor markets are not keeping up with. The report highlights the growing demand for data skills, from data analysts and scientists to data governance and ethics officers, and proposes practical frameworks to drive data development. Its approach is accessible and transversal, so it is useful for people in charge of designing digital transformation policies and for training or human resources managers.

The analysis New trends and challenges in the world of data closes this selection. The report identifies four trends that are shaping the evolution of the data ecosystem:

1. Generative artificial intelligence
2. Ethics and digital rights
3. Data spaces
4. Data governance

For each trend, the analysis details the opportunities it opens up, such as innovation, new services, and the activation of a more dynamic data economy. And it also analyses the challenges posed by each trend and the lines of action to address them. These include semantic interoperability, algorithmic biases, privacy, and regulatory complexity. This analysis is especially recommended as a starting point for those who want to understand the current situation of data in Spain and in Europe.

Figure 1. Comparative table. Source: own elaboration - datos.gob.es

A look at the present and future of open data

Reading these reports reveals that open data has evolved and the digital ecosystem has changed substantially in a short time, but it continues to face structural challenges that require effective governance, human capabilities and an organizational culture that understands data as a strategic infrastructure.

The resources gathered in this article offer complementary perspectives to understand the path we face. They are all available in open access and constitute a solid basis for understanding where we are and where we are going.