The volume of globally produced data continues to grow rapidly and is expected to exceed 175 zettabytes(1) in 2025 from 33 zettabytes in 2018.(2) The European Commission is now preparing to use this new wave of data as an opportunity to position the European Union as a leader at the heart of the global data debate.

To achieve this, the Commission is committed to boosting data sharing across the bloc and establish a functioning single market for data to facilitate innovation and growth. The Franco-German initiative to create a federated cloud architecture called GAIA-X is another such initiative aimed at turbocharging Europe’s competitiveness.