A needed data Strategy
The paper (https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/european-data-strategy_en) outlines a series of steps designed to position the EU to prosper in the data agile world. Some of these will undoubtedly challenge the status quo and may provide contentious with some of the currently dominant providers. However looking at it from an EU Inc. perspective difficult to argue with the requirement for change, for investment and coordination – nor to deny the opportunity. Makes for an interesting read.
EU published European Strategy for Data on 19 Feb 2020. Makes for an interesting read – as EU looks to position/ protect itself to prosper in the ‘data agile’ era. The document is an interesting reminder of many of the developments, challenges and opportunities. And, inf this format, very much at the strategic, if not aspirational, level – but none the less important for this.
Have we missed the boat?
There is a sense reading this that the EU produces lots of data but has ceded much of the advantage to overseas players e.g. those running the data centers and providing the cloud based applications. Running through the document is a sense of a missed opportunity – which this strategy will now aim to redress. Some of it relates to investment, some to a need for improved coordination across the EU, some to training/ awareness/ education. and underlying it all is an uneasiness as to whether non EU owned cloud providers are committed to complying with EU legislation and expectations.
What is the opportunity?
The volume of data is only headed one way – continuing to grow exponentially. And the strategy paper anticipates most of this data will not reside in data centers. The data does offer huge opportunities for business and government to collaborate and great improvements in quality of life for EU citizens. But a number of frameworks are required if the EU is to exploit and leverage the opportunities.
