Will the EU secure the funding it needs to make its industrial data plans a reality?

The European Commission's new digital plan proposes the creation of so-called data spaces, where industrial data can be shared across sectors. While this would be an important step towards a single market for good quality, interoperable data, it remains to be seen whether the EU member states will be able to reach a consensus on the plan and unlock the required funding. The Commission sees the limited access to data held by both public and private actors as one of the main obstacles to the development of AI technologies in Europe. As such, the idea of data spaces is an important step towards strengthening the EU's position in AI. The more data that is shared, especially among businesses, the more sophisticated algorithms can become.