economía del dato

Data reuse continues to grow in Spain, as confirmed by the last report of the Multisectorial Association of Information (ASEDIE), which analyses and describes the situation of the infomediary sector in the country. The document, now in its 13th edition, was presented last Friday, 4 April, at an event highlighting the rise of the data economy in the current landscape.

The following are the main key points of the report.

An overall profit of 146 million euros in 2023

Since 2013, ASEDIE's Infomediary sector report has been continuously monitoring this sector, made up of companies and organisations that reuse data - generally from the public sector, but also from private sources - to generate value-added products or services.  Under the title "Data Economy in its infomediary scope", this year's report underlines the importance of public-private partnerships in driving the data economy and presents relevant data on the current state of the sector.

It should be noted that the financial information used for sales and employees corresponds to the financial year 2023, as financial information for the year 2024 was not yet available at the time of reporting. The main conclusions are:

• Since the first edition of the report, the number of infomediaries identified has risen from 444 to 757, an increase of 70%. This growth reflects its dynamism, with annual peaks and troughs, showing a positive evolution that consolidates its recovery after the pandemic, although there is still room for development.
• The sector is present in all the country's Autonomous Communities, including the Autonomous City of Melilla. The Community of Madrid leads the ranking with 38% of infomediaries, followed by Catalonia, Andalusia and the Community of Valencia, which represent 15%, 11% and 9%, respectively. The remaining 27% is distributed among the other autonomous communities.
• 75% of infomediary companies operate in the sub-sectors of geographic information, market, economic and financial studies, and infomediation informatics (focused on the development of technological solutions for the management, analysis, processing and visualisation of data).
• The infomediary sector shows a growth and consolidation trend, with 66% of companies operating for less than 20 years. Of this group, 32% are between 11 and 20 years old, while 34% are less than a decade old. Furthermore, the increase in companies between 11 and 40 years old indicates that more companies have managed to sustain themselves over time.
• In terms of sales, the estimated volume amounts to 2,646 million euros and the evolution of average sales increases by 10.4%.  The average turnover per company is over 4.4 million euros, while the median is 442,000 euros. Compared to the previous year, the average has increased by 200,000 euros, while the median has decreased by 30,000 euros.
• It is estimated that the infomediary sector employs some 24,620 people, 64% of whom are concentrated in three sub-sectors. These figures represent a growth of 6% over the previous year. Although the overall average is 39 employees per company, the median per sub-sector is no more than 6, indicating that much of the employment is concentrated in a small number of large companies. The average turnover per employee was 108,000 euros this year, an increase of 8% compared to the previous year.
• The subscribed capital of the sector amounts to EUR 252 million. This represents an increase of 6%, which breaks the negative trend of recent years.
• 74% of the companies have reported profits. The aggregate net profit of the 539 companies for which data is available exceeded 145 million euros.

The following visual summarises some of this data:

Figure 1. Source: Asedie Infomediary Sector Report. "Data Economy in its infomediary scope" (2025).

Significant advances in the ASEDIE Top 10

The Asedie Top 10 aims to identify and promote the openness of selected datasets for reuse. This initiative seeks to foster collaboration between the public and private sectors, facilitating access to information that can generate significant economic and social benefits. Its development has taken place in three phases, each focusing on different datasets, the evolution of which has been analysed in this report:.

• Phase 1 (2019), which promoted the opening of databases of associations, cooperatives and foundations. Currently, 16 Autonomous Communities allow access to the three databases and 11 already offer NIF data.  There is a lack of access to cooperatives in a community.
• Phase 2 (2020), focusing on datasets related to energy efficiency certificates, SAT registers and industrial estates. All communities have made energy efficiency data available to citizens, but one is missing in industrial parks and three in SAT registers.
• Phase 3 (2023), focusing on datasets of economic agents, education centres, health centres and ERES-ERTES (Expediente de Regulación de Empleo y Expediente de Regulación Temporal de Empleo). Progress has been made compared to last year, but work is ongoing to achieve greater uniformity of information.

New success stories and best practices

The report concludes with a section compiling several success stories of products and services developed with public information and contributing to the growth of our economy, for example:

• Energy Efficiency Improvement Calculator: allows to identify the necessary interventions and estimate the associated costs and the impact on the energy efficiency certification (EEC).
• GEOPUBLIC: is a tool designed to help Public Administrations better understand their territory. It allows for an analysis of strengths, opportunities and challenges in comparison with other similar regions, provinces or municipalities. Thanks to its ability to segment business and socio-demographic data at different scales, it facilitates the monitoring of the life cycle of enterprises and their influence on the local economy.
• New website of the DBK sectoral observatory: improves the search for sectoral information, thanks to the continuous monitoring of some 600 Spanish and Portuguese sectors. Every year it publishes more than 300 in-depth reports and 1,000 sectoral information sheets.
• Data assignment and repair service: facilitates the updating of information on the customers of electricity retailers by allowing this information to be enriched with the cadastral reference associated with the supply point. This complies with a requirement of the State Tax Administration Agency (AEAT).

The report also includes good practices of public administrations such as:

• The Callejero Digital de Andalucía Unificado (CDAU), which centralises, standardises and keeps the region's geographical and postal data up to date.
• The Geoportal of the Madrid City Council, which integrates metadata, OGC map services, a map viewer and a geolocator that respect the INSPIRE and LISIGE directives. It is easy to use for both professionals and citizens thanks to its intuitive and accessible interface.
• The Canary Statistics Institute (ISTAC), which has made an innovative technological ecosystem available to society. It features eDatos, an open source infrastructure for statistical data management ensuring transparency and interoperability.
• The Spanish National Forest Inventory (IFN) and its web application Download IFN, a basic resource for forest management, research and education. Allows easy filtering of plots for downloading.
• The Statistical Interoperability Node, which provides legal, organisational, semantic and technical coverage for the integration of the different information systems of the different levels of administrative management.
• The Open Cohesion School, an innovative educational programme of the Generalitat de Catalunya aimed at secondary school students. Students investigate publicly funded projects to analyse their impact, while developing digital skills, critical thinking and civic engagement.
• The National Publicity System for Public Subsidies and Grants, which has unveiled a completely redesigned website. It has improved its functionality with API-REST queries and downloads. More information here.

In conclusion, the infomediary sector in Spain consolidifies itself as a key driver for the economy, showing a solid evolution and steady growth. With a record number of companies and a turnover exceeding 2.6 billion euros in 2023, the sector not only generates employment, but also positions itself as a benchmark for innovation. Information as a strategic resource drives a more efficient and connected economic future. Its proper use, always from an ethical perspective, promises to continue to be a source of progress both nationally and internationally.

The Multisectoral Information Partnership (ASEDIE) has published the twelfth edition of its "Report on the Infomediary Sector", that reviews the initiatives to boost the data economy in the country. In addition, this edition commemorates the 25th anniversary of the association in the sector.

In the 12th Report on the Data Economy in the infomediary sphere, ASEDIE provides accurate figures on the sector in Spain to continue its annual work of highlighting and conveying its size and importance. The presentation of this edition took place at Madrid International Lab's auditorium on 20 March.

The main findings of the study are summarised below.

Between 2 April and 16 May, applications for the call on aid for the digital transformation of strategic productive sectors may be submitted at the electronic headquarters of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Civil Service. Order TDF/1461/2023, of 29 December, modified by Order TDF/294/2024, regulates grants totalling 150 million euros for the creation of demonstrators and use cases, as part of a more general initiative of Sectoral Data Spaces Program, promoted by the State Secretary for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence and framed within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR). The objective is to finance the development of data spaces and the promotion of disruptive innovation in strategic sectors of the economy, in line with the strategic lines set out in the Digital Spain Agenda 2026. 

Lines, sectors and beneficiaries

The current call includes funding lines for experimental development projects in two complementary areas of action: the creation of demonstration centres (development of technological platforms for data spaces); and the promotion of specific use cases of these spaces. This call is addressed to all sectors except tourism, which has its own call. Beneficiaries may be single entities with their own legal personality, tax domicile in the European Union, and an establishment or branch located in Spain. In the case of the line for demonstration centres, they must also be associative or representative of the value chains of the productive sectors in territorial areas, or with scientific or technological domains. 

Infographic-summary

The following infographics show the key information on this call for proposals:

Would you like more information? 

• Access to the grant portal for application proposals in the following link. On the portal you will find the regulatory bases and the call for applications, a summary of its content, documentation and informative material with presentations and videos, as well as a complete list of questions and answers. In the mailbox espaciosdedatos@digital.gob.es you will get help about the call and the application procedure. From this portal you can access the electronic office for the application. 
• Quick guide to the call for proposals in pdf + downloadable Infographics (on the Sectoral Data Program and Technical Information)
• Link to other documents of interest:

  • Action plan for the deployment of data spaces by Data Office.

  • How to evaluate and design 'use cases' for data spaces: guides to ease the way 

• Additional information on the data space concept 

Data is a key part of Europe''s digital economy. This is recognised in the Data Strategy, which aims to create a single market that allows free movement of data in order to foster digital transformation and technological innovation. However, achieving this goal involves overcoming a number of obstacles. One of the most salient is the distrust that citizens may feel about the process.

In response to this need, the Data Governance Act or Data Governance Act (DGA), a horizontal instrument that seeks to regulate the re-use of data over which third party rights concur, and to promote their exchange under the principles and values of the European Union. The objectives of the DGA include strengthening the confidence of citizens and businesses that their data is re-used under their control, in accordance with minimum legal standards.

Among other issues, the DGA elaborates on the concept ofdata intermediaries , for whom it establishes a reporting and monitoring framework. 

What are data brokers?

The concept of data brokers is relatively new in the data economy, so there are multiple definitions. If focusing on the context of the DGAdata Intermediation Services Providers ( DISPs) are those "whose purpose is to establish commercial relationships for the exchange of data between an undetermined number of data subjects and data owners on the one hand, and data users on the other hand".

The Data Governance Act also differentiates betweenData Brokering Service Providers andData Altruism Organisations Recognised in the Union (RDAOs). The latter concept describes a data exchange relationship, but without seeking a profit for it, in an altruistic way.

What types of data brokering services exist according to the DGA?

Data brokering services are another piece of data sharing, as they make it easier for data subjects to share their data so that it can be reused. They canalso provide technical infrastructure and expertise to support interoperability between datasets, or act as mediators negotiating exchange agreements between parties interested in sharing, accessing or pooling data.

Chapter III of the Data Governance Act explains three types of data brokering services:

• Intermediation services between data subjects and their potential users, including the provision of technical or other means to enable such services. They may include the bilateral or multilateral exchange of data, as well as the creation of platforms, databases or infrastructures enabling their exchange or common use.
• Intermediation services between natural persons wishing to make their personal and non-personal data availableto potential users, including technical means. These services should make it possible for data subjects to exercise their rights as provided for in the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation 2016/679).
• Data cooperatives. These are organisational structures made up of data subjects, sole proprietorships or SMEs. These entities assist cooperative members in exercising their rights over their data.

In summary, the first type of service can facilitate the exchange of industrial data, the second focuses mainly on the exchange of personal data and the third covers collective data exchange and related governance schemes.
 

Categories of data intermediaries in detail:

To explore these concepts further, the European Commission has published the report ''...Mapping the landscape of data intermediariesthereport examines in depth the types of data brokering that exist. The report''s findings highlight the fragmentation and heterogeneity of the field.

Types of data brokers range from individualistic and business-oriented to more collective and inclusive models that support greater participation in data governance by communities and individual data subjects. Taking into account the categories included in the DGA, six types of data intermediaries are described:

Source: Mapping the landscape of data intermediaries published by the European Comission

Each of these is described below:

1. Personal Information Management Systems (PIMS): provides tools for individuals to control and direct the processing of their data.
2. Data cooperatives: foster democratic governance through agreements between members. Individuals manage their data for the benefit of the whole community.
3. Data trusts: establish specific legal mechanisms to ensure responsible and independent management of data between two entities, an intermediary that manages the data and its rights, and a beneficiary and owner of the data.
4. Data syndicates: these are sectoral or territorial unions between different data owners that manage and protect the rights over personal data generated through platforms by both users and workers.
5. Data marketplaces: these drive platforms that match supply and demand for data or data-based products/services.
6. Data sharing pools: these are alliances between parties interested in sharing data to improve their assets (data products, processes and services) by taking advantage of the complementarity of the data pooled.

In order to consolidate data brokers, further research will be needed to help further define the concept of data brokers. This process will entail assessing the needs of developers and entrepreneurs on economic, legal and technical issues that play a role in the establishment of data brokers, the incentives for both the supply and demand side of data brokers, and the possible connections of data brokers with other EU data policy instruments.

The types of data intermediaries differ according to several parameters, but are complementary and may overlap in certain respects. For each type of data intermediary presented, the report provides information on how it works, its main features, selected examples and business model considerations.

Requirements for data intermediaries in the European Union

The DGA establishes rules of the game to ensure that data exchange service providers perform their services under the principles and values of the European Union (EU). Suppliers shall be subject to the law of the Member State where their head office is located. If you are a provider not established in the EU, you must appoint a legal representative in one of the Member States where your services are offered.

Any data brokering service provider operating in the EU must notify the competent authority. This authority shall be designated by each State and shall ensure that the supplier carries out its activity in compliance with the law. The notification shall include information on the supplier''s name, legal nature (including information on structure and subsidiaries), address, website with information on its activities, contact person and estimated date of commencement of activity. In addition, it shall include a description of the data brokering service it performs, indicating the category detailed in the GAD to which it belongs, i.e. brokering services between data subjects and users, brokering services between data subjects or individuals and data users or data cooperatives.

Furthermore, in its Article 12, the DGA lays down a number of conditions for the provision of data brokering services. For example, providers may not use the data in connection with the provision of their services, but only make them available. They must also respect the original formats and may only make transformations to improve their interoperability. They should also provide for procedures to prevent fraudulent or abusive practices by users. This is to ensure that services are neutral, transparent and non-discriminatory.

Future scenarios for data intermediaries

According to the report "Mapping the landscape of data intermediaries", on the horizon, the envisaged scenario for data intermediaries involves overcoming a number of challenges:

Identify appropriate business models that guarantee economic sustainability. Expand demand for data brokering services. Understand the neutrality requirement set by the DGA and how it could be implemented. Align data intermediaries with other EU data policy instruments. Consider the needs of developers and entrepreneurs. Meeting the demand of data intermediaries.

The growing importance of data goes beyond the economic and social spheres at state level to a multinational dimension that raises the challenges, opportunities, threats and uncertainties surrounding the development of the Data Economy to a global scale. In the case of the European Union, the issue has been on the institutional agenda in recent years, as evidenced by the profusion of specific and cross-cutting regulations already adopted or in progress; or the promotion of multilateral initiatives both within the framework of the Union and beyond its borders. In July 2022, this global political dimension took a major qualitative leap forward with the adoption by the EU Council of what it called 'Conclusions on EU Digital Diplomacy'Conclusions on EU Digital Diplomacywhich aimed to set out priority actions to strengthen EU action in international digital affairs.

These conclusions - updated in July 2023 - are, in a way, a milestone in that they give the concept of 'digital diplomacy' a legal status. They recognised, on the one hand, the need for "stronger, strategic, coherent and effective" EU policy and action on digital issues; and detailed, on the other hand, priority actions to respond to that need.         

Three ways to engage with third countries

Under the title 'The European Data Strategy from a multidimensional perspectivethe think tank network PromethEUs1 published in June 2023 an analysis that breaks down the European Data Strategy from two main perspectives: the political and regulatory aspects, and the geopolitical aspects.. The analysis of the latter was prepared by Raquel Jorge Ricart of the Real Instituto Elcano, and explains that the EU has been addressing the way in which its goods, services, assets and personal data relate to third countries through various channels:

The analysis of the latter was carried out by the whose researchers explain that the EU has been addressing how its goods, services, assets and personal data relate to third countries through various channels:

1. The regulatory route, which, as they say, "has been closely followed by most stakeholders". 
2. Through multilateral initiatives, "coalitions of the willing" and international meetings.
3. "Through the importance of digital diplomacy, as a policy area to institutionalise the geopolitics of data, along with other technological challenges". In this sense, the term 'digital diplomacy' is used to bring together in a single 'box' all the initiatives that, independently, would have been carried out to date.

Further information on each of these pathways is provided below.

Regulatory pathway

In relation to the regulatory approach, the main challenge for the EU to deploy the regulatory tool as a geopolitical asset lies, according to the Elcano researchers, in influencing other countries to follow the same approach. "It is not just a matter of imposing standards on those who already interact with the EU, but of encouraging others to do the same with theirs," they say. Likewise, they add, "another challenge for the geopolitical instrumentalisation of these regulations is to understand that geopolitical strategies must vary according to the country and the type of technology company", as they may have different geopolitical approaches.

But, the authors conclude, regulation, while important, is not the only approach on which the EU should build its data geopolitics. The other two approaches are as important as they are strategic.

Multilateral initiatives

With regard to international forums for dialogue, the following stand out:

• Those maintained through institutionalised and long-standing organisations and spaces, e.g. G7, UN, OECD, etc.
•  More recently established issue-specific coalitions, such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (involving the US, Australia, India and Japan), Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (with Chile, New Zealand and Singapore) or the proposed Data Free Flow with Trust DFFT-2019 (driven by Japan).

Digital diplomacy

Regarding the third approach - the promotion of digital diplomacy - Elcano analysts highlight as positive the various regional technological partnership initiatives that the EU has deployed in recent years, and stress that already in 2019 'the EU began to see technology through the lens of ethics' and as a political and geopolitical issue. In this respect, they underline that the Conclusions of the European Council on Digital Diplomacy (July 2022) are the starting point "with which the EU institutionalised all aspects related to the external agenda in third countries and digital policy as a unique aspect of EU foreign policy". And that is why the goal of digital diplomacy deployed by the EU through its External Action Service is none other than to "secure the EU's global role in the digital world, protect its strategic interests and promote its dynamic and people-centred regulatory framework for an inclusive digital transformation".

The latter is, moreover, a crucial factor, as revealed by the priority actions set out at the initial European Council meeting in July 2022, revised in july 2023. The EU, says the Council, must promote a human rights-based and people-centred digital transformation, which translates, for example, into:

• Regular and thorough" human rights due diligence practices and human rights impact assessments.
• Pay special attention to the protection of the rights of vulnerable or marginalised people.
• Bridging the gender digital divide.
• Promote an open, free, neutral, global, interoperable, reliable and secure Internet.

The Spanish Charter of Digital Rightslaunched in July 2021, and the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decadeare a clear example of the vocation with which the European Union wants to provide itself with an internal or domestic reference, while establishing a shared framework for its action in the field of digital diplomacy.

The EU's challenges

In any case, from the analysis of the different actions established by the EU in this area, the Elcano Institute's researchers identify three major challenges:

1. How to address the role of member states in EU data geopolitics, as most foreign and security policy provisions depend on the unanimity of all 27 countries, and this "may make it difficult for certain activities related to data governance to be approved".
2. How to partner with developing countries "or, particularly, with non-aligned countries", a concept that could be undergoing some revitalisation and which, they argue, "should be an area for further work". The global Gateway initiative would be in this area and, in fact, is one of those that the EU wants to promote by also broadening private sector participation.
3. How to "pay attention to certain technologies that are still underdeveloped, notyetwidely commercialised or not yet deployed, but which could generate a great deal of competition between countries".

In short, the development of digital diplomacy is already a crucial vector in the development of the Data Economy and, in fact, the EU Council will return to this issue before the summer of 2024, two years after the issuing of the Conclusions and one year since the first review. Indeed, until then, the Council "invites the High Representative, the Commission and Member States to assess progress on a regular basis and to continue to report regularly to the Council on the implementation of digital diplomacy". To take its diplomacy to the next level, they stress, "the EU must act with a Team Europe approach - that is, EU institutions and EU member states, together with other partner actors - jointly protecting its strategic interests and promoting its people-centred approach to the digital transition".

Economic security

The aforementioned link between digital diplomacy, the Union's strategic interests and the Data Economy underlies the European Economic Security Strategy a joint communication adopted by the Commission and the High Representative on 20 June 2023.  The strategy is based on a three-pillar approach:

• Promoting the EU's economic base and competitiveness
• Protection against risks
• Partnering with as many countries as possible to address common concerns and interests.

Fostering (competitiveness); preserving (economic security); and cooperating (with each other and with others) are the vectors that the Strategy defines to address the four risks it identifies. Namely:

1. Risks related to the resilience of supply chains.
2. Risks to the physical and cyber security of critical infrastructures.
3. Risks related to technology security and technology leaks.
4. Risks of economic dependencies being used as a weapon or economic coercion.

As a first follow-up to the Strategy, the Commission adopted on 3 October 2023 a Recommendation on critical technology areas for EU economic security, identifying ten critical technology areas, four of which are identified as "highly likely": advanced semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and biotechnologies.

In order to make immediate risk assessments on these areas, the Commission will deploy an intensive dialogue with Member States with results expected by spring 2024. A dialogue in which the Data Economy, with an increasingly relevant weight in European productive ecosystems, will be omnipresent. And Spain, as an international hub and secure destination for information flows and data storage, should pay special attention to aspects such as guaranteeing the correct integration of the different data infrastructures; guaranteeing interoperability between the different actors; and reinforcing its cybersecurity, especially in view of the vulnerability of the supply chain and the need to guarantee effective competition and diversity of suppliers.

Four years after the publication of the European Commission's Communication 'A Data Strategy', the European Commission has published a Communication on the European Commission's 'Data Strategy'A Data Strategy' (February 2020) (February 2020) - setting out the broad outlines of the broad outlines of the European Union's future data economy - the profusion of data-related regulation, the growing importance of open data and the deployment of initiatives of all kinds that have an impact on the development of this area, make it advisable to carry out a review to update the state of the art. This is what the members of the PromethEUs network1 thought, under the title of 'The European Data Strategy from a Multidimensional Perspectivein June 2023, they published an analysis of the European Data Strategy from two main perspectives: political and regulatory aspectson the one hand, and geopolitical aspectson the other. This analysis is complemented by two chapters presenting the economic impact of data-driven innovation and the specific case of the digitisation of the health sector in Southern Europe.

The first of the analyses - produced by the Portuguese Institute for Public Policy-- starts from the main idea that the European Union aspires to create a data-driven economy with citizens at its centre. An objective that will, in part, be achieved by implementing the guidelines followed by legislative acts such as the Regulation on Data Governance (DGA) Regulation and the Data Act (Data Act).

Regulations to consider

In essence, the DGA enables an enabling framework for data exchange, promoting the availability of data and the creation of a reliable and secure environment in which to realise new innovative services and products. Among its main measures, three aspects stand out:

1. More extensive re-use of protected information held by the public sector (with full respect for its privacy and confidentiality).
2. A framework for the promotion of neutral data brokering services, guaranteeing data sovereignty.
3. Mechanisms for the altruistic transfer of data.

The DA aims to establish harmonised rules on fair access and use of data, to address imbalances in contractual relations between providers and users regarding ownership and use of data, to promote interoperability and efficient portability of data, and to ensure minimum conditions for users of data processing services.

Other regulatory texts have a direct or indirect impact on the overall objective described above and interact significantly with both the above-mentioned DGA and DA, as well as with specific sectoral regulations. These include the Open Data Directive (2019), the Digital Bill of Rights (2022), the Digital Markets Actact, the Digital Services Act, or the proposals for the Artificial Intelligence Actfor the aI Liability Directive and for the Gigabit Infrastructure Act. All this without forgetting the decisive impact on this field of both the Personal Data Protection Regulation (2016) and the Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications (2002), which will be replaced by the forthcoming Regulation on the same subject.

Effects of the European data strategy

After reviewing the most relevant aspects of this regulation, the PromethEUs document highlights three dimensions in terms of the effects of the European Data Strategy: political, economic and regulatory. Effects, on the other hand, which they expect to be positive overall, although they recognise that there is uncertainty about the associated laws and their practical implementation.

Political dimension

In the policy dimension, the authors highlight the role that both the European Commission and the European Data Innovation Board (EDIB) provided for in Article 29 of the DGA will play. The EDIB has an indispensable co-ordination role which will also have to be deployed in relation to the Member States and the respective competent authorities. In this sense, the authors warn, the lack of coordination can lead to a heterogeneous institutional framework that can delay the implementation of the Strategy. They also recommend the establishment of clear guidelines and even guidelines to prevent possible confusion as to the requirements and possible penalties imposed by states.

Economic dimension

On the economic dimension, the report highlights that the Commission expects a clear positive impact and cites an OECD study that estimates that data access and sharing will generate social and economic benefits of between 0.1 and 1.5% of GDP in the public data sector, rising to between 1 and 2.5% (some studies put it at 4%) in the private sector. The Commission, the document explains, estimates that the increased availability of data for commercial use and innovation among businesses, as well as for consumers and companies using connected products and related services, could generate up to €196.7 billion per year by 2028. The implementation of the DA alone will create up to 2.2 million jobs in the period 2024-2028.

In this sense, and in relation to the Strategy's objective of boosting competitiveness and R&D investment, the authors say that the DGA and the DA should build trust for B2B data sharing; and that the central idea would be for companies not to focus their resources and business model exclusively on the internal maintenance of their data, but on the creation of value through data transformation and combination. Likewise, in relation to SMEs, they point to the need to reduce access barriers and especially compliance costs that may be induced by the DA. Even considering that SMEs are protected in many respects, they explain, such costs can be a setback for many companies. So, they say, while for some it may mean added financial costs, for others it may mean a complete redesign of the company's business models.

Regulatory dimension

Finally, regarding the regulatory dimension, the authors point out that the implementation of the DA and the DGA will require well-trained regulatory bodies for the abundant work that will emanate from them. The creation of effective corps will require, they explain, a significant investment in human resources and skills. They also warn of the risk of overlapping powers between public administrations and regulators in areas such as data protection, cybersecurity, network infrastructure and competition issues. Therefore, they conclude, proper coordination of activities, among other issues, will be of paramount importance.

Indeed, coordination is a key concept at all levels. The evolution of the Data Economy - both at EU level and globally - is linked, whatever the field under analysis, to this essential factor. A factor applicable to how the European Strategy, the real baton that is setting the pace of this process, is implemented and deployed. But it also applies to the way in which the multiple regulations concerned are interrelated and, consequently, to the essential harmonised action of the authorities and bodies that apply them in their respective areas of competence. In short, a coordination that, like the conductor's virtuoso baton, allows for a successful execution of the score. A score - the European Strategy - that translates into the vigorous melody that the Data Economy promises, as already demonstrated by the indicators and records that outline its unstoppable evolution.       

A data space is the place where value is generated around data through voluntary sharing in an environment of sovereignty, trust and security. The data space enables you to determine who accesses what data and under what conditions, thus facilitating the deployment of different use cases to meet different business needs. The data space functions as an open and heterogeneous environment of providers and consumers of data products, with no dominant players and no disproportionate barriers to entry and exit.

The data space is the place for sustainable value generation around data, a catalyst for innovation and business growth, allowing to identify market opportunities, anticipate trends, make better informed decisions, increase operational efficiency, develop transformative products and services or personalise customer experiences.

Within the concept of data space, and beyond a bilateral exchange of information, there is room for both centralised environments of information aggregation and generation of value-added services, with or without financial compensation, and more innovative data sharing environments (typically federated and distributed). The former can be seen as fundamental building blocks for the latter, and in any case, full interoperability of the deployed solutions and their future scalability should be sought.

The data space is the ideal scenario for deploying a variety of advanced technologies to efficiently explore data sets and turn them into information. This creates an environment conducive to innovation and process optimisation, resulting in a landscape in which information becomes a strategic resource for growth and informed decision-making. The data space enables the use of advanced analytics tools (business intelligence, big data, machine learning, deep learning, etc.), generative algorithms (LLM, GPT), process automation (RPA), and/or advanced data preservation techniques (DLTs).

In practice, a data provider (formally incorporated in the corresponding data space) will make its data products accessible through a catalogue, managed according to the indications of the data space promoter. When a participant wishes to access a product, it will look for the availability of such information, studying its conditions of access and use, as well as the appropriateness of its semantics and vocabulary. If the characteristics detailed in the catalogue meet his/her expectations, he/she will establish the appropriate negotiation and proceed to establish an effective transfer between supplier and consumer, in accordance with the technical conditions set out in the catalogue.

What does the data space offer to each type of participant?

There are four types of participants in a data space:

1)    Data space promoter:

It is the driver of the sharing and operating environment, and will therefore be responsible for its governance and management (and may delegate some operational parts). It will therefore be the guarantor of the generation of community around the data space, articulating different business models and seeking and attracting new participants, thus dynamising innovation and the development of new value-added services.

Different business models can be generated within the data space. These include:

• Monetisation of data on a bilateral basis.
• Markets as a meeting point between suppliers and consumers.
• The marketing of software products or services for data analysis and exploitation.
• The facilitation of technological solutions to mediate the identification of participants or the exchange between them.
• The development of industrial platforms integrating the value chain.
• Making data openly available altruistically.

2) Providers of data sets and services:

They offer  data products (both sets and services) within the contours of rights and obligations defined by the data space developer .

Thanks to cybersecurity and the sovereignty capabilities it provides, the barriers and risks associated with sharing are lowered, thus facilitating the generation of value and the return on the investment involved in making resources available. Moreover, the technological uncertainties linked to the deployment of innovative business models are partially mitigated by the use of standard frameworks and solutions (provided by the technology specifier and the technology provider, respectively).

Providers of data sets and services can opt for different revenue generation models, such as:

• Provide free access to the data, thus seeking to generate a high volume of traffic to attract sponsors or advertisers.
• Deploy a type of freemiun access free of charge for specific data and services, but at a cost for specific or higher quality services and data.
• Establish temporary or continuous licensing agreements.
• Define dynamic costing systems linked to timely demand or complexity of access
• Deploy a collaborative sharing system where access to other people's data is linked to sharing one's own data ( quid-pro-quomodel).

3) Consumers of data sets and services:

They consume data products within the contours of rights and obligations defined by the data space developer.

It allows them to benefit by incorporating the value of third-party data (from different suppliers) into their system by consolidating or combining it with their own data. The information and knowledge generated from this shared data makes it possible to solve business problems that would be unmanageable on an individual basis, adding value to the business itself.

The value proposition of the data consumer can go through:

• Acting on one's own behalf, for personal consumption and profit.
• Acting as a data broker, connecting organisations with fewer resources or maturity, and thus offering trust.
• It plays the role of a reuser, which is able to generate value-added services on the data space by reworking the information provided.

Precisely in the sense of risk mitigation and confidence building, the use of standard solutions (provided by the technology provider of the data space, which we will see below) serves to ensure service levels(business continuity) and the reduction of technological risks, as well as to avoid registration on multiple platforms or the management of complex and diverse authorisation and access processes.

4) Technology provider:

It is in charge of integrating and operating the technical solution that enables the deployment of the data space infrastructure (on behalf of, under the governance and management of the developer). This provider will carry out the development, configuration and parameterisation to implement the technical solution to deploy the data space, practically as a service ready for consumption. For this purpose, a basic physical infrastructure will be used, on top of which technological components will be added to enable adequate management of participants' identities, as well as all other functionalities that characterise the data space in question (and which will typically follow a reference architecture).

The provider will therefore make precise use of different enabling technologies for the governance and management of the data space, from the deployment of privacy-enhancing technologies to ensure the proper treatment of protected information, to tools to automate contractual compliance and guarantee sovereignty.

It is important to note that this figure of the "data space technology provider" does not coincide with that of the data technology service provider within the already operational data space itself. The former deploys and operates the technologies necessary to shape the ecosystem, within which the latter operates, offering ad-hoc solutions (which could in any case include the former organisation, as permitted by the competition regulations of the sector in which the data space operates, as well as its specific governance).

Data has become the great transforming power of society. Beyond the more mercantilist view, its capacity to generate knowledge, drive innovation and empower individuals and communities is undeniable. Indeed, it is a resource with which to address, from an innovative perspective, major environmental, social and health challenges, enabling collaboration between actors, driving innovation and improving accountability.

Following European guidelines such as the European Data Strategy, the challenge now is to promote the circulation of data for the benefit of all, by pooling data in key sectors with the creation of  common and interoperabledata spaces. A data space is an ecosystem where the voluntary sharing of its participants' data takes place within an environment of sovereignty, trust and security, established through integrated governance, organisational, regulatory and technical mechanisms. Data spaces are key to the development of the data economy, enabling access, exchange and legitimate re-use, positioning data as a non-rivalrous resource, whose utility grows as its use becomes more widespread, in a clear example of the network effect.

What are the Coordinated Support Actions (CSA)?

In order to foster the development of data spaces, the European Commission's Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) is funding a series of Coordinated Support Actions (CSA) to foster their development. Most of these actions have a funding of around one million euros per project and a duration of approximately one year, with an expected completion date in the fourth quarter of 2023. Their results should contribute to the objectives of the DIGITAL programme, which aims to bridge the gap between research and deployment of digital technologies, and to facilitate the transfer of research results to the market, to the benefit of European citizens and businesses, especially small and medium-sized ones.

Each concrete action focuses on a particular sector of economic activity seeking, based on a mapping of the data landscape of each sector concerned, to contact and connect relevant stakeholders, seeking to collaboratively develop a shared strategic roadmap. This shared roadmap ultimately aims to eventually build up the corresponding sectoral data spacesin subsequent phases. During the process, clear objectives and key results are defined to inspire, support and motivate all stakeholders to contribute and use high quality sectoral data as a basis for innovation and value generation.

In order to carry out this roadmap, a comprehensive inventory of existing platforms that already share relevant data has been drawn up. In addition, each CSA project has focused, through different working groups and stakeholder workshops, on developing recommendations on governance models for data spaces and digital business models for their sector. The aim is to identify key success factors and outline how a data space can create value and benefits not only for the sector in question but also for other sectors with which it is interlinked. In addition, plans to address the technical and organisational challenges that drive the use of interoperability standards are made in the different projects in close collaboration with the Data Spatial Support Centre (DSSC) in order to align with the European Technological Framework for Data Spaces.

Where can I find up-to-date information on CSAs?

Concrete information on the state of play of the different coordination and support actions can be found on their websites through the following links:

	DATES (Tourism)
	Tourism Data Space (Tourism)
	DS4SKills (Skills)
	PrepDSpace4Mobility (Mobility)
	AgriDataSpace (Agri-food)
	Great (Environmental)
	DataSp4ce (Industrial)
	DS4SSCC (Smarts Cities)

The outcome of these coordinated support actions will provide the information and the basis for the correct execution of the projects for the development and implementation (\"deployments\") of the Common European Data Spaces, which will be supported by different European programmes. This will catalyse the creation of a single data market, based on reliable and quality data, which will enable the digitisation of industries' value chains. Moreover, its effective development will support the European Union's objectives of achieving a green transition and a digital transformation, and of strengthening its resilience and strategic autonomy.

As tradition dictates, the end of the year is a good time to reflect on our goals and objectives for the new phase that begins after the chimes. In data, the start of a new year also provides opportunities to chart an interoperable and digital future that will enable the development of a robust data economy robust data economy, a scenario that benefits researchers, public administrations and private companies alike, as well as having a positive impact on the citizen as the end customer of many data-driven operations, optimising and reducing processing times. To this end, there is the European Data Strategy strategy, which aims to unlock the potential of data through, among others, the Data Act (Data Act), which contains a set of measures related to fair access to and use of data fair access to and use of data ensuring also that the data handled is of high quality, properly secured, etc.

As a solution to this need, in the last year the uNE data specifications which are normative and informative resources for implementing common data governance, management and quality processes. These specifications, supported by the Data Officethese specifications, supported by the Data Office, establish standards for well-governed data (UNE 0077), managed (UNE 0078) and with adequate levels of quality (UNE 0079), thus allowing for sustainable growth in the organisation during the implementation of the different processes. In addition to these three specifications, the UNE 0080 specification defines a maturity assessment guide and process to measure the degree of implementation of data governance, management and quality processes. For its part, the UNE 0081 also establishes a process of evaluation of the data asset itself, i.e. of the data sets, regardless of their nature or typology; in short, its content is closely related to UNE 0079 because it sets out data quality characteristics. Adopting all of them can provide multiple benefits. In this post, we look at what they are and what the process would be like for each specification.

So, with an eye to the future, we set a New Year's resolution: the application of the UNE data specifications to an organisation.

What are the benefits of your application and how can I access them?

In today's era, where data governance and efficient data management have become a fundamental pillar of organisational success, the implementation of the uNE data specifications specifications emerge as a guiding light towards excellence, leading the way forward. These specifications describe rigorous standardised processes that offer organisations the possibility to build a robust and reliable structure for the management of their data and information throughout its lifecycle.

By adopting the UNE specifications, you not only ensure data quality and security, but also provide a solid and adequate basis for informed decision-making by enriching organisational processes with good data practices. Therefore, any organisation that chooses to embrace these regulations in the new year will be moving closer to innovation, efficiency and trust in data governance and management; as well as preparing to meet the challenges and opportunities that the digital future holds digital future. The application of UNE specifications is not only a commitment to quality, but a strategic investment that paves the way for sustainable success in an increasingly competitive and dynamic business environment because:

• Maximising value contribution to business strategy
• Minimises risks in data processing
• Optimise tasks by avoiding unnecessary work
• It establishes homogeneous frameworks for reference and certification
• Facilitates information sharing with trust and sovereignty

The content of the guides can be downloaded free of charge from the AENOR portal via the links below. Registration is required for downloading. The discount on the total price is applied at the time of checkout.

• SPECIFICATION UNE 0077:2023
• SPECIFICATION UNE 0078:2023
• SPECIFICATION UNE 0079:2023
• SPECIFICATION UNE 0080:2023
• SPECIFICATION UNE 0081:2023

From datos.gob.es we have echoed the content of the same and we have prepared different didactic resources such as this infographic or this explanatory video.

How do they apply to an organisation?

Once the decision has been taken to address the implementation of these specifications, a crucial question arises: what is the most effective way to do this? The answer to this question will depend on the initial situation (marked by an initial maturity assessment), the type of organisation and the resources available at the time of establishing the master plan or implementation plan. Nevertheless, at datos.gob.es, we have published a series of contents prepared by experts in technologies linked to the data economy datos.gob.es, we have published a series of contents elaborated by experts in technologies linked to the data economy that will accompany you in the process.

Before starting, it is important to know the different processes that make up each of the UNE data specifications. This image shows what they are.

Once the basics are understood, the series of contents 'Application of the UNE data specifications' deals with a practical exercise, broken down into three posts, on a specific use case: the application of these specifications to open data. As an example, a need is defined for the fictitious Vistabella Town Council: to make progress in the open publication of information on public transport and cultural events.

• In the first post of the series, the importance of using the UNE 0077 data using the UNE 0077 Data Governance Specification to establish approved mechanisms to support the openness and publication of open data. Through this first content, an overview of the processes necessary to align the organisational strategy in such a way as to achieve maximum transparency and quality of public services through the reuse of information is provided.
• The second article in the series takes a closer look at the uNE 0079 data quality management standard and its application in the context of open data and its application in the context of open data. This content underlines that the quality of open data goes beyond the FAIR principles fAIR principles principles and stresses the importance of assessing quality using objective criteria. Through the practical exercise, we explore how Vistabella Town Council approaches the UNE processes to improve the quality of open data as part of its strategy to enhance the publication of data on public transport and cultural events.
• Finally, the uNE 0078 standard on data management is explained in a third article presenting the Data Sharing, Intermediation and Integration (CIIDat) process for the publication of open data, combined with specific templates.

Together, these three articles provide a guide for any organisation to move successfully towards open publication of key information, ensuring consistency and quality of data. By following these steps, organisations will be prepared to comply with regulatory standards with all the benefits that this entails.

Finally, embracing the New Year's resolution to implement the UNE data specifications represents a strategic and visionary commitment for any organisation, which will also be aligned with the European Data Strategy and the European roadmap that aims to shape a world-leading digital future.

ASEDIE, Asociación Multisectorial de la Información, will hold its usual International Conference on the Reuse of Public Sector Information on December 13. This will be its 15th edition and the central theme is 'Learning from the past, we build the future of data'. The aim of the meeting is to address the interaction that exists between the different regulations that coexist in the data ecosystem, analyze the most significant barriers identified by the sector and discuss solutions. 

When and where will it be held?  

The event, which will be held in classroom format on December 13, 2023 at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, in the Salón de Grados of the Departmental Building (Paseo de los Artilleros, Madrid). The reception of attendees begins at 9:00 and the event will end at 13:10. 

What is the program?  

The focus of this edition will be on collective learning, taking as a reference the steps taken so far in the world of data and in the construction of the future of the sector.   

The session will open at 9:40 am with the inauguration of the event by the President of ASEDIE, Ignacio Jiménez and the Director of Public Governance of the Ministry of Finance and Public Function, Ms. Clara Mapelli to give way to the intervention of Carlos Romero, Advisor for Digital Transformation at the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union. 

The event will feature two round tables:  

•  The first table will take place at 10:00 and will deal with 'The data economy in search of a coherent regulation'. It will be attended by Santiago Graña, Deputy Director General of Planning and Governance of the Digital Administration; Joaquín Meseguer, Technical Advisor at the Madrid City Council; Lorenzo Avello, Deputy Director General of Telecommunications Management; and Mercedes Ortuño, Advisory Member of the Deputy Directorate General of Promotion and Authorizations of the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD). It will be moderated by Casilda Lazcano, president of ASEDIE's Legal Commission.  

• The second round table, at 12:00h, will focus on the future under the title 'Open data in time perspective: 2024 and beyond'. Participants will include Carmen de Pablos Heredero, Professor of Business Organization at the URJC; Agustín T. de Villar Iglesias, Deputy Director of the Information Infrastructure Area of the Institute of Statistics and Cartography of Andalusia; and Fernando de Pablo Martín, Director General of the Digital Office of the Madrid City Council. 

In between, at 11:00 a.m., the ASEDIE 2023 Awards will be presented in two categories.   

• The finalists in the category Driving the Data Economy are: the Data Office, for the generation of data of proven quality from an effective and standardized government; the City Council of Zaragoza, with its project Know and explore Zaragoza; and the Generalitat de Catalunya, for the classification of datasets by the Sustainable Development Goals.  

• In the category Promoting data knowledge, the finalist initiatives are the Data Management Summit, an event that promotes data knowledge, the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, for the standard ordinance on data governance in municipal entities, and the Geographic Institute of Aragon for ICEARAGON, with the project on spatial knowledge of the region.   

After the awards ceremony, Conchita Cornejo, Coordinator of the area of the General Secretariat for Inspection and Control of Capital Movements, and Emilio López, Director of the National Center for Geographic Information, will intervene. 

You can consult the complete program here.  

How can I register?  

Attendance is in person with limited capacity and registrations can be made on the ASEDIE website.