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Discover the data technology events that will take place in the coming months
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The health situation we have been experiencing for a couple of years now had changed the way of celebrating major events to date, moving from a face-to-face to an online format.

This year, however, we are slowly beginning to see a return to the normality that existed before the pandemic. Several of the major technology events to be held in 2022 have already announced that they will be held in hybrid format, or even exclusively in person, if health conditions permit.

Here is a brief review of the events related to the world of technology and data, both public and private, that will be held over the coming months and that you should mark in red on your calendar.

Mobile World Congress (MWC)

February 28 to March 03, 2022 – Barcelona

We begin by talking about the most global technological event in our country, which is about to begin, and which aims to reconnect and reinvent the connectivity industry. It is one of the most influential events worldwide, as this congress represents the largest exhibition of telephony, Internet and mobile applications within the industry.

The MWC is attended by mobile operators, device manufacturers and service providers to create a place to facilitate networking and showcase the most innovative and current technologies.

Among the conferences that will take place at this event, we find some related to the field of data, such as ‘Strategies for energising the data economy’ or ‘The data opportunity: making mobility smart’. Also noteworthy is the conference ‘Digital policies to speed the post-Covid recovery’,   which will feature a presentation by Nadia Calviño, First Vice President of Spain and Minister of Economy and Digitalization.

Four Years From Now (4YFN)

February 28 to March 03, 2022 – Barcelona

As has become customary in recent years, the MWC will also host the internal event for start-ups 4YFN (4 Years From Now), which seeks to support contact between new companies and investors, thus facilitating access to an international network of contacts and different business opportunities. Red.es will collaborate in this event by making a selection of Spanish companies and startups to participate in the different representation spaces that are organized. Among the participating companies there are some focused on the world of data and its reuse.

In addition, 4YFN will have outstanding speakers such as Francisco Polo, High Commissioner for Spain Entrepreneurial Nation, or Carme Artigas, Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, who will participate on March 1 in a session that will analyze the existing challenges in developing a European ecosystem that is favorable to the creation, growth and investment of new companies and start-ups.

OpenExpo Europe 2022

June 30, 2022 – Madrid

OpenExpo Europe is a space for the dissemination of technological innovation, digital transformation and open source in Europe. Among its main objectives is to disseminate among professionals in the technology sector the latest trends, tools and services in innovation and technology, as well as helping them to increase their network of contacts.

The OpenExpo Virtual Experience initiative emerged in 2020, following the success of the dissemination of content in online format about fields such as: cybersecurity, blockchain, AI, Virtual Reality, IoT or big data, among other topics.

As of today, the agenda of this event is not yet available. However, through this link you can pre-register for the event that will take place on June 30 at La Nave (Madrid).

Advanced Factories

March 29th to 31st, 2022 – Barcelona

The city of Barcelona will once again host this annual summit, which brings together the most cutting-edge companies in Industry 4.0. This event, European leader in advanced and digital industry, will bring together more than 17,000 professionals, in addition to offering 100 hours of conferences on fields such as robotics, industry 4.0, automation or 3D printing, among others.

Some of the central themes of this world-class meeting will be: productivity improvement, connectivity, data analysis, industrial symbiosis or reduction of the digital gap between large manufacturing factories and SMEs.

South Summit

June 08 to 10, 2022 – Madrid

Next June will see the arrival of South Summit, a contest-like showcase designed to offer more visibility to disruptive projects seeking new clients, financing or strategic partnerships. As in previous editions, it will feature investors and leading innovation companies from Spain, Southern Europe and Latin America. You can register for the start-up competition through this link.

Unlike last year, in 2022 South Summit will once again be held in a fase-to-face format in Madrid, in addition to maintaining the virtual presentations of the projects through a 100% digital omnichannel model.

IoT Solutions World Congress

May 10-12, 2022 - Barcelona, Spain

After the cancellation of the last edition last October, due to the high incidence of the pandemic in our country, this event returns with more strength in 2022. Barcelona will bring together industry experts to analyze how IoT is transforming production, transportation, logistics and public services, as well as sectors such as healthcare and energy.

The central theme of this edition will be "The new normal", and will analyze the main innovation challenges faced by companies through five thematic axes such as security, connectivity, business optimization, intelligence and customer experience.

Among the topics to be presented are some related to the world of data such as: "Data are the fuel that drives the energy transition: exploring the smart energy network at Eneco" or "Konecranes: driving business and providing commercial advantages with industrial IoT, perimeter and data analytics".

Smart City Expo World Congress

November 15-17, 2022 - Barcelona, Spain

Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) has established itself over the last few years as a benchmark event that blends technological innovation with the Smart Cities sector. This smart cities congress will bring together once again experts, companies and entrepreneurs with the aim of collectivizing urban innovation and promoting new projects around the world.

The last editions were developed in digital format, which has led to the creation of Tomorrow.City, a digital content platform aimed at public administrations and new talents, which seeks to disseminate knowledge, promote training and promote research on an uninterrupted basis. This partnership combines the event with a digital platform open all year round and dedicated to the growth of sustainable mobility.

EU Datathon

October 20, 2022 – Online

The EU Datathon is the competition that seeks to boost the creation of products based on open data, such as mobile or web applications, that offer an answer to different challenges related to EU priorities. The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2022, with the final on October 20.

This challenge is linked to the European Union Open Data Days, organized by the Publications Office of the European Union, which last year held its first edition and will presumably hold the second one during the last months of 2022, although this information is yet to be confirmed.

Other events of interest

There are a multitude of technological events related to the field of data that can also be very interesting. We can not collect them all in detail in a single article, so here are some of the most popular both nationally and internationally:

In Spain

Internationally

This has been just a selection of the main technological events that 2022 has in store for us. If you know of any other that you would like to highlight, do not hesitate to write us a comment or send us your proposal through our email contacto@datos.gob.es.

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Find out about upcoming data technology events not to miss
Evento

The current healthcare situation has changed the way in which major events are held, with most of them moving from being held in person to online. However, little by little, the face-to-face format is being taken up again, returning to the offline format and even combining both experiences.

In this article we are going to discover some events related to the world of technology and data, both private and public, that will be held in the coming weeks and that you should not miss. Join us to discover them!

OpenExpo Virtual Experience 2021

8 to 10 June 2021 – Online

OpenExpo Europe has positioned itself in recent years as one of the main windows for dissemination in technological innovation, digital transformation and open source in Europe. Its main objective is to disseminate the latest trends, tools and services in innovation and technology among professionals in the technology sector, as well as helping them to increase their network of contacts.

The OpenExpo Virtual Experience initiative was launched last year, following the success achieved with the dissemination of online content on cybersecurity, blockchain, AI, virtual reality, IoT and big data, among other topics.

At this event, attendees will be able to enjoy more than 50 activities led by professional experts in technology and innovation: presentations, case studies, interviews, debates, workshops, Q&A sessions, 1to1 meetings, etc.  Some of the topics to be addressed are Govtech and the public administration's commitment to innovation, free educational software and Gaia-X, one of the European Commission's major projects in the field of data.

Advanced Factories

8 to 10 June 2021 – Barcelona

Barcelona will host the annual Advanced Factories summit, which brings together the most cutting-edge companies in Industry 4.0. Some of the focal points of this world-class meeting will be: industrial automation, sensors, energy efficiency, artificial intelligence, blockchain, machine learning and big data.

For the fourth consecutive year, this summit will host the Industry 4.0 Congress under the slogan "We are the future of automation", which will begin with a presentation on the role of data in the transformation of this sector.

Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2021

28 June to 01 July 2021 – Barcelona

This great technological event was suspended in 2020, but in 2021 it will re-emerge as a new event with great guarantees of health safety. As a novelty, this year's MWC will feature several virtual activities that will complement the on-site edition of the event. "Connected Impact" is the chosen theme, which places the COVID-19 pandemic as the main element influencing this year's technological trends.

As usual, leading professionals from the sector and prominent speakers will be taking part. Among them is Carme Artigas, Secretary of State for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, who will participate with a presentation on data in the age of intelligence.

As in previous years, the in-house event for startups 4YFN (4 Years From Now) will be held as part of the MWC. Its aim is to support contact between startups and investors, providing access to an international network of contacts and different business opportunities. Among the participating companies we can find many focused on the world of data and its reuse. Red.es selects Spanish companies and startups to participate in the different representation spaces that are organised.

South Summit

5 to 7 October 2021 – Online

The autumn will see the arrival of South Summit, a showcase in the form of a competition to give more visibility to disruptive projects seeking new customers, funding or strategic partnerships. It will feature investors and leading innovation companies from Spain, southern Europe and Latin America, regardless of the industry, country of origin or stage of development of the project.

This year the organisation has decided not to hold the event in person, so the project presentations will take place virtually.

IoT Solutions World Congress

5 to 7 October 2021 – Barcelona

This is undoubtedly one of the most high-profile IoT events in the world. Due to the growing demand from the sector, more than 8,000 visitors are expected to attend an event that will bring together industry experts to analyse how the Internet of Things is transforming production, transport, logistics, public services and sectors such as healthcare and energy.

Some of the papers to be presented include "Leveraging EdgeX Foundry as an Open, Trusted Data Framework for Smart Meter Monitoring", "Using Mobile, IoT and Data Analytics to Take a Localized Approach to the Global Waste Problem" and "Making Cities, Infrastructures & Construction Sites Smarter with Time Series Data".

Semantic Web for E-Government

24 October - online

This online event will focus on a review of the semantic web and its importance in achieving interoperability and integration between the different organisational levels of public administrations. Two current e-government and open data initiatives will be presented:

  • The European Data Portal, a platform for integrating and assessing Europe's Linked Open Government Data. It will address the multiple applications of semantic web standards in the European Data Portal, such as DCAT, SKOS, SHACL and DQV. Special attention will also be given to the measurement and publication of quality information.
  • Ciudades Abiertas: good practices for data harmonisation with local public administrations. It will be explained how a set of vocabularies is being developed to support a homogeneous provision of open data in the framework of Ciudades Abiertas, a collaborative project with four Spanish cities (Zaragoza, A Coruña, Madrid and Santiago de Compostela).

Smart City Expo World Congress

16 to 18 November 2021 – Barcelona

For several years now, Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) has become a benchmark event that combines technological innovation with the field of Smart Cities. It brings together experts, companies and entrepreneurs with the aim of creating synergies and promoting new projects.

In 2021, the congress celebrates its tenth anniversary and its organisers will once again opt to hold the event in person, combined with a digital platform that will offer a multitude of opportunities to its attendees.

This event is usually the framework chosen by Open Data Barcelona to showcase the finalists of its World Data Viz Challenge, although the 2021 edition has not yet been announced.

EU Open Data Days

23 to 25 November 2021 - Online

This year we will also attend the first edition of the EU Open Data Days, organised by the Publications Office of the European Union in collaboration with the Aporta Initiative.  The event will be virtual and will be divided into two activities:

  • EU Dataviz 2021 (23-24 November). A programme of conferences focusing on open data and visualisations. They are currently defining the agenda which we will share with you soon.
  • EU Datathon 2021 (25 November). In the months leading up to this event, a competition will be held to encourage the creation of products based on open data, such as mobile or web applications, that offer a response to different challenges related to EU priorities. The deadline for submissions is 11 June. The final will be held on 25 November as part of the Open Days.

 

This is just a selection of some of the major technology events coming up - do you know of any more you would like to highlight? Then don't hesitate to write us a comment or send us your proposal by email to contacto@datos.gob.es.

 

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The re-use of public sector information and industry 4.0
Blog

The promotion of digitalisation in industrial activity is one of the main axes for tackling the transformation that the Spain's Digital Agenda 2025 aims to promote. In this respect, several initiatives have already been launched by public institutions, including the Connected Industry 4.0 programme, through which the aim is to promote a framework for joint and coordinated action by the public and private sectors in this field.

Apart from the debates on what Industry 4.0 means and the challenges it poses, one of the main requirements identified to assess the maturity and viability of this type of project is the existence of "a strategy for collecting, analysing and using relevant data, promoting the implementation of technologies that facilitate this, aimed at decision-making and customer satisfaction", as well as the use of technologies that "allow predictive and prescriptive models, for example, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence". Precisely, the Spanish Artificial R+D+I Strategy gives a singular relevance to the massive use of data that, in short, requires its availability in adequate conditions, both from a quantitative and qualitative perspective. In the case of Industry 4.0 this requirement becomes strategic, particularly if we consider that almost a half of companies' technological expenditure is linked to data management.

Although a relevant part of the data will be those generated in the development of their own activity by the companies, it cannot be ignored that the re-use of data from third parties acquires a singular importance due to the added value it provides, especially with regard to the information provided by public sector entities. In any case, the specific sectors in which industrial activity takes place will determine which type of data is particularly useful. In this sense, the food industry may have a greater interest in knowing as accurately as possible not only weather forecasts but also historical data related to climate and, in this way, adequately planning both its production and also the management of its personnel, logistics activities and even future investments. Or, to continue with another example, the pharmaceutical industry and the industry linked to the supply of health material could make more effective and efficient decisions if they could access updated information from the autonomous health systems under suitable conditions, which would ultimately not only benefit them but also better satisfy their own public interests.

Beyond the particularities of each of the sectors on which the specific business activity is projected, in general, public sector entities have relevant data banks whose effective opening in order to allow their reuse in an automated manner would be of great interest to facilitate the digital transformation of industrial activity. Specifically, the availability of socio-economic information can provide undeniable added value, so that the adoption of decisions on the activity of companies can be based on data generated by public statistics services, on parameters which are relevant from the perspective of economic activity - for example, taxes or income levels - or even on the planning of the activity of public bodies with implications for assets, as occurs in the field of subsidies or contracting. On the other hand, there are many public registers with structured information whose opening would provide an important added value from an industrial perspective, such as those which provide relevant information on the population or the opening of establishments which carry out economic activities which directly or indirectly affect the conditions in which industrial activity is carried out, either in terms of production conditions or the market in which their products are distributed. In addition, the accessibility of environmental, town planning and, in general, territorial planning information would be an undeniable asset in the context of the digital transformation of industrial activity, as it would allow the integration of essential variables for the data processing required by this type of company.

However, the availability of data from third parties in projects linked to Industry 4.0 cannot be limited to the public sector alone, as it is particularly important to be able to rely on data provided by private subjects. In particular, there are certain sectors of activity in which their accessibility for the purposes of reuse by industrial companies would be of particular relevance, such as telecommunications, energy or, among others, financial institutions. However, unlike what happens with data generated in the public sector, there is no regulation that obliges private subjects to offer information generated in the development of their own activity to third parties in open and reusable formats.

Moreover, there may sometimes be a legitimate interest on the part of such entities to prevent other parties from accessing the data they hold, for example, if possible intellectual or industrial property rights are affected, if there are contractual obligations to be fulfilled or if, simply for commercial reasons, it is advisable to prevent relevant information from being made available to competing companies. However, apart from the timid European regulation aimed at facilitating the free circulation of not personal data, there is no specific regulatory framework that is applicable to the private sector and therefore, in the end, the possibility of re-using relevant information for projects related to Industry 4.0 would be limited to agreements that can be reached on a voluntary basis.

Therefore, the decisive promotion of Industry 4.0 requires the existence of an adequate ecosystem with regard to the accessibility of data generated by other entities which, in short, cannot be limited solely and exclusively to the public sector. It is not simply a question of adopting a perspective of increasing efficiency from a cost perspective but, rather, of optimising all processes; this also affects certain social aspects of growing importance such as energy efficiency, respect for the environment or improvement in working conditions. And it is precisely in relation to these challenges that the role to be played by the Public Administration is crucial, not only offering relevant data for reuse by industrial companies but, above all, promoting the consolidation of a technological and socially advanced production model based on the parameters of Industry 4.0, which also requires the dynamisation of adequate legal conditions to guarantee the accessibility of information generated by private entities in certain strategic sectors.

Content prepared by Julián Valero, professor at the University of Murcia and Coordinator of the Research Group "Innovation, Law and Technology" (iDerTec).

Contents and points of view expressed in this publication are the exclusive responsibility of its author.

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DATAGRI 2018 seeks to promote digital transformation in agri-food sector
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The next 26th and 27th of November DATADRI is celebrated in Córdoba. It is a reference event for the digital transformation of agricultural sector. During two days, the challenges and opportunities of the sector will be addressed, paying special attention to the competitive advantages that new technologies and data analysis can bring.

Junta de Andalucía, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, among many other organizations and companies, collaborate with the event. You can see the entire list of sponsors and contributors here.

What is the purpose of the event?

The event responds to three objectives:

  • Promote digital transformation in agri-food chain.
  • Sensitize about success cases.
  • Contribute to reduce barriers to digital transformation implementation, creating best practices standards and opportunities for collaboration.

What is the agenda?

DATAGRI is made up of two sessions, the Forum Day, which will be held on November 26, and the Farming Day, which will take place on the next day.

The Forum Day will be integrated by different key note and round tables, with the participation of farmers, technology companies, representatives of public administration and experts who will share their vision and experience, with special focus on new trends. Among other technologies, they will talk about robotics, Internet of Things or drones, and how its application can help boost a more sustainable and efficient agri-food sector. The session will end with a debate, entitled "Who has to lead the digital transformation in the sector?".

For its part, the Farming Day will be integrated by two workspaces. On the one hand, a working space called "Operative Groups as a driver for the digitization of the sector" followed by the "Digital Agenda workday for the agri-food sector and the rural environment" (invitation will be necessary to attend this session).

In parallel, attendees could enjoy a series of demonstrations and exhibitions, to discover first-hand how the latest technologies can boost their business and improve their competitiveness.

What do I have to do to attend?

Those interested in attending the event must pre-register at the following link.

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New trends and challenges in the data world
Documentación

The amount of data we generate does not stop growing. 90% of the data created in the history of humanity were produced during the last year and a 40% annual growth is estimated for the next decade. These figures highlight the importance of data in today's economy and society. The data provide us with knowledge, which facilitate to make the right decisions at the right time.

To optimize the advantages that the use of data can bring to our day to day, an increasing number of organizations and companies are implementing new technologies that help to improve their management and obtain greater value. The report New trends and challenges in the data world analyzes some of these technological and social trends that are revolutionizing the world of data. These technologies are big data and artificial intelligence, decision algorithms, internet of things and blockchain.

The following are some of the main conclusions of the report:

Big Data and Artificial Intelligence

  • What is it? The analysis of large volumes of data, from different sources and with different formats, in real time, acquires a new dimension combined with artificial intelligence technologies, which apply reason guidelines to data.
  • What are its advantages? Thanks to these technologies, companies and organizations can better understand the current and future functioning of their environment, and face the challenges at the right time. The combination of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data can boost economic growth, respond to citizens needs and optimize public services. In addition, it can contribute to the strengthening of democracy.
  • What are its challenges? The lack of talent with the necessary skills, the limitation in current infrastructures and the privacy protection are the main challenges that organizations have to face when implementing a Big Data initiative.

The decision algorithms

  • What is it? These are automated agents capable of extracting value from a large volume of data in an agile and efficient way, facilitating automatic decision making.
  • What are its advantages? Decision algorithms allow more efficient, transparent and equitable decision making.
  • What are its challenges? Among the challenges faced by people in charge of algorithms management is ensuring the quality and availability of data through controls and audits, as well as ensuring their integrity, ethics and independence.

Internet of Things

  • What is it?  When we talk about Internet of Things (IoT) we refer to a network of connected objects, by wireless or cable, capable of generating data without human intervention.
  • What are its advantages? IoT facilitates processes automation and provides new and multiple forms of interaction that contribute to improving universality and accessibility to services.
  • What are its challenges? The main inhibitors of IoT are security and privacy, interoperability and the need for new infrastructures. It is also important to bear in mind that IoT can contribute to increasing the existing gap between different social classes according to their possibilities of data and services access.

Blockchain

  • What is it? Blockchain is a distributed database that controls the transfer of digital information. That is, a kind of account book where the records are encrypted and interleaved, so change in one of the blocks affects the others.
  • What are its advantages? Its main advantage is the security and privacy of information, the integrity, the sustainability, the transparency and the (quasi) anonymity. This will allow us to transform our political system and enable profound social changes.
  • What are its challenges?
  • The lack of qualified talent, the regulatory changes, the electronic security of citizens and the limits on institutions ability to adapt the new enviroment are the main challenges highlighted in the report.

Thanks to Big Data and artificial intelligence, decision algorithms, Internet of Things or Blockchain, organizations and companies can extract the necessary value from the data, which will help them to improve services and products for citizens. Although these four technologies are still in a phase of incipient adoption, they are expected to grow rapidly over the next few years, once the above-mentioned challenges are overcome - if you want to delve into these challenges you can read the report New trends and challenges in the world of data.

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