European strategy in data

Strategy in data [1] assumes (to download) a number of steps, including changes of the legislation which would allow the European players to throw down a competitive challenge to the global technology companies which are owning huge amounts of data and earning from them and also to become a role model of the society gaining maximum benefit from data for decision making in business and a state administration.

At the moment the small number of the large technology companies concentrates at itself the most part of world data. It can become a restraining factor for development, growth and creation of innovations by those companies which business is based on data. And for development of such business there are premises: a considerable part of data of the future will result from industrial and professional applications, spheres of public interest, applications of Internet of Things of everyday life – i.e., from those areas where the European Union has strong positions, - authors of the document note.

The EU is going to become a sample of the society gaining maximum benefit from data for decision making in business and a state administration and to contribute to the development of this sector in the countries (a photo - csoonline.com)

Europe has a potential to achieve success in the economy based on data both in terms of technologies, and from the point of view of qualified personnel. But competitors, such as the USA and China, quickly create innovations and project for the whole world the concepts of data access, the document says.

To release the capacity of Europe, we need to find our, European way where the balance of extensive use of data and providing the high level of privacy, security and ethical standards would be reached, - it is specified in the document.

In the concept the purpose – to create uniform data space which is meant as the "this uniform market of data" open for data from around the world where access to them will be able to have business and the state is designated. Strategy implementation is based on four core elements. TAdviser studied the document and stated the basic principles of these elements below.

Cross-industry management system for assessment and use of data

It is supposed to enter the legislative changes allowing to manage the general European data spaces. The time frame of introduction of such changes is specified in document 4 quarter 2020.

The initiative assumes strengthening at the level of the EU and the countries of the mechanisms of management concerning cross-industry use of data entering it. It includes, including, a priority of execution of works on standardization, on simplification of solutions what data, for what and whom can be used. The last is especially relevant for sensitive data which contain in the state bases.

Also creation of mechanisms which would simplify obtaining permission from natural persons to use for public benefit of data which they generate if they want it ("altruism in the field of data") is provided.

Within the same block the work directed to making more available qualitative data which the public sector has, for the innovation sector is supposed. It is for this purpose going to develop the regulation about high-valuable data sets which would be provided free of charge in a machine-readable format through API.

Besides, it is required to study the legislation regarding need to enter changes to those its areas which affect relationship between the parties of the economy based on data. These changes should promote data exchange of business with the state and business with business. Key regulations on data exchange can be taken out in the separate law on data – Data Act which exit is previously planned for 2021.

The European Commission is going to provide more methodical support to players of the market that their interaction on data exchange and agreements on consolidation corresponded to the competition act. Theoretically it can promote that the European organizations by a join path could create large players whose business is constructed on data which would compete with large global players.

Investments into infrastructure and services for storage, processing and interoperability

During 2021-2027 the European Commission within the separate project is going to invest in the European data spaces and infrastructure, including tools using which it is possible to share data, development of architecture, data management mechanisms. As envisioned by authors of strategy, the project will be based on the European infrastructure with emphasis on cloud computing which would consider industry specifics in the EU.

In the EU expect that the project will bring benefit and will contribute to the development of an ecosystem of the companies connected with data and will support digital transformation of business and the state.

The European Commission is ready to select financing to 2 billion euros for these purposes through different programs, calculating that EU Member States and business invest in this project too. At the expense of it the total volume of financing can be about 4-6 billion euros.

Concerning cloud infrastructure in the 3rd quarter 2020 the European Commission is going to sign agreements of intent with EU Member States, first of all with where there are already cloud associations and initiatives of sharing of data.

And by 2nd quarter of the 2022nd the European Commission is going to prepare the collection of the regulations concerning cloud services. On its basis it is going to develop standards and requirements to purchases of cloud services for a public sector.

Work is separately planned to provide joining of demand and supply in the field of services for data processing, in particular provided on models PaaS and SaaS, follows from the document. Creation by 4th quarter of the 2022nd marketplace of cloud services for users from the EU is for this purpose conceived.

Expansion of opportunities of people, investments into development of skills and SMB

It is necessary to provide support to citizens concerning their rights concerning data which they generate, it is specified in strategy. They need to give an opportunity at the level of different tools to control the data and to decide what with them to do ("personal data space"). It could be made within the general regulations of personal data protection of the EU (General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR), developers of strategy consider.

Advanced training of specialists within the Digital Europe program to expand a talent pool in the field of digital technologies goes separate point. By assessment given in strategy as of 2020 there is not enough EU about 1 million specialists in the field of digital technologies. By 2025 the EU expects to cut this deficit by half, including due to attraction in the industry of bigger number of women.

And concerning the general literacy in the field of data the EU is faced by the purpose to increase a population share with "basic digital skills" from the current 57% to 65% by 2025.

On the way in the EU – the strategy of development of medium and small business (SMB) which will define measures of development of this segment and startups. Data are an important asset in this context, authors of strategy emphasize. In addition to it some more regulations and programs, including Digital Europe, will provide creation of opportunities for SMB concerning improvement of access of business to data and development of the new services and applications connected with data.

Creation of data spaces in the strategic industries and areas of public interest

The European Commission is going to support creation of a number of uniform European data spaces in strategic areas. In what use of data will make systematic impact not only on all ecosystem, but also on citizens concern them. Such areas in the strategy of data treat:

• Industry
• "Green pact" of Green Deal
• Transport
• Health care
• Financial industry
• Power
• Agriculture
• Sphere of the state administration
• Professional development

In them there have to be available large pools of data, as well as existence of the infrastructure providing data exchange and their use, and the corresponding mechanisms of management. In spite of the fact that there is no uniform approach to data management which would be suitable for all and at once, some general managerial models and concepts could be applied in all specified industries, developers of the document believe.

One of key and large actions in the field of creation of uniform data space in the "green" sphere in strategy gives start of a new initiative – "A destination point - Earth". She assumes collaboration of scientific and industrial communities in creation of high-precision digital model of Earth which will become the platform for modeling, visualization, monitoring and forecasting of results of natural and human impact on the planet. Is going to begin creation of the digital double of Earth in 2021.

See Also

• Main article: Europe
• Regulations of the European Union about personal data (GDPR, General Data Protection Regulation)
• Digital transformation of Europe
• IT in a public sector of the European Union
• Cyber crime and cyber conflicts: Europe