The European data space from a Swiss perspective

The EU plans to develop the European region into a common data economy. It assumes that a European data economy will increase the region's GDP by 528 billion euros by 2025, create 5.2 million new highly skilled jobs and decisively strengthen Europe's position as an independent player in the global data economy. euros by 2025, create 5.2 million new highly skilled jobs and decisively strengthen Europe's position as an independent player in the global data economy.

A key component of realizing an EU data economy is data spaces in which data producers and users work together to share and use data securely and with respect for the rights of all stakeholders involved and affected. It is still too early to say whether the EU's approach will achieve the declared goals. At the very least, the EU's measures should provide the framework and building blocks to facilitate the development of a data economy.

What does this mean for Switzerland? How should Switzerland respond to these developments, which will have an impact on economic and non-economic actors? The answers must be developed step by step. In terms of quality, Switzerland must ensure its connectivity to the emerging European data spaces. Switzerland should position itself along the value chain of data producers and data consumers.

This means the following, organized by stakeholder:

• The players in the data economy (companies, but also public authorities as data producers and users) should quickly begin to evaluate the possibilities of data rooms and data marketplaces and put them into practice. The possibilities range from tapping into valuable data pools to providing the infrastructure for data rooms or data marketplaces to developing innovative analytical skills.

• Legislators are called upon to develop a suitable legal framework for these activities. Particular attention should be paid to sustainable models and principles for forward-looking data governance. Data governance will be a crucial component for a successful data economy of the future.

• Civil society and the public in Switzerland should support politicians in taking a leading role in the developing field of data governance. With its well-developed culture of discussion, its liberal tradition and its simple legislative tradition, Switzerland has a lot to offer here compared to many other legal systems.

In addition to these points, Switzerland could even play a leading role in the provision of infrastructures that allow the secure exchange of data in each sector. Switzerland rightly has a reputation as a trustworthy, neutral partner. This trust must be put to good use. Politicians and the administration should support the responsible bodies (authorities, companies) in working together with EU countries to establish and operate sector-specific data rooms.

In terms of timing, such evaluations and the activities derived from them should be prioritized so that Switzerland's potential as a first mover in shaping the structures that are still being established does not remain unused.