Personal Data Spaces: Workshop series

Personal data spaces are the glue that hold all other common European data spaces together – and can align them with European values of digital sovereignty and human-centricity. They play a crucial role in the future of Europe's data economy and will determine whether Europe can offer a strong and viable alternative to the data practices of major US tech companies and state surveillance models employed by Chinese entities. The results of this series of workshops indicate that the necessary technology is ready or about to become so, the necessary regulatory framework is being established though in need of stabilising and effective implementation and enforcement, but two critical areas still need attention: values-aligned business logics of commercial and non-commercial actors using personal data of Europeans and in Europe on the one hand, and digital literacy and awareness of the potential for value of personal data among European citizens in general on the other hand. A burgeoning community of actors across all sectors of European society – public, private, academic, and civil society – is rallying around the call of the European strategy for data to make personal data spaces a reality to serve Europeans and European organisations – and they need and deserve support and resourcing.