From Data Spaces to Data Governance

• Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies

The 11th FSR Annual Conference is an occasion to take stock of the progress made on the objectives outlined in the EU Data Strategy the Data Governance Act in the network industries. This new regulation will have impact on the various network industries, and at our conference, we will particularly focus on the areas of energy, climate, transport and telecommunications.

In February 2020 the European Commission (EC) has presented the European Data Strategy, which main objectives are to set up European Data Spaces, to create a single market for data and to develop an attractive, secure and dynamic data economy. Common European data spaces in the sectors of health, environment, energy, agriculture, mobility, finance, manufacturing, public administration, and skills, will ensure that more data becomes available for use in the economy and society, while keeping the companies and individuals who generate the data in control. The Data Governance Act published by the EC in November 2020, constitutes the first of the legislative proposals presented in the EU Data Strategy and applies to both personal and non-personal data. Its main objectives are to strengthen the availability of data for use by increasing trust in data intermediaries and to stimulate data sharing mechanisms across the EU.

What are strategic, technical and operational aspects of creating an interconnected, interoperable and trusted environment for data sharing in the network industries? How to encourage data sharing? Should data sharing be mandated? How will public sector bodies guarantee privacy and confidentiality? What existing or additional enablers are needed to ensure access to different data sources? What are the barriers to cross-sectoral data sharing? If the current investment in technologies and infrastructure is enough? What should be the governance of these data spaces? What is the role of digital platforms? What are the next steps? These are some of the questions that the conference will seek to discuss.

The conference is intended for academics such as PhD students, PostDocs and Assistant/associate/full Professors, as well as academically minded practitioners.