Embark on the future of the European data market: Secure, transparent, and decentralised solutions for data exchanges
Centre of Excellence for Data Spaces
In recent years, the data economy has witnessed unprecedented growth, with its contribution to European GDP projected to grow from 2% to 4% between 2019 and 2025, according to the European Commission and Impact Economist. This growth is fueled by significant investments in digital transformation, totalling up to €127 billion across the EU, according to the European Commission. This trend sheds light on the increasing need of society and the economy on insights and revenue derived from the collection, analysis, and sharing of vast and diverse datasets.
Data lies at the heart of solutions addressing societal challenges, from climate change and ESG initiatives to alternative mobility, Industry 4.0 and healthcare advancements. Hence, sharing data has become essential to foster innovation and competitive advantages. In Europe, the EU envisions the creation of data spaces to establish a single market for data, fostering growth, creating value and reducing both carbon and environmental footprints.
However, challenges remain. Data silos, high technological costs, lack of standardisation, and trust issues continue to hinder data exchange and sharing, limiting its transformative power.
One vision for a data-driven European economy
Increased public-private exchanges
Trusted mechanisms for data exchange
Greater transparency and decentralised access control systems
A thriving ecosystem of highly competitive European companies across all sectors and industries
One solution: Data spaces
Originally outlined in the European Strategy for Data and championed by pioneering public-private initiatives such as those in the German automotive sector, data spaces have gained formal recognition in Europe through the Data Governance Act and the Data Act.
"A data space is a collaborative system built on a set of agreements between multiple parties – often involving 10 or more organisations from the onset. These agreements establish how data can be exchanged securely and utilised ethically among different parties. By simplifying data usage, data spaces aim to maximise its reuse and the value it generates for organisations and individuals across Europe."
PwC Data Spaces Center of ExcellenceWhat we offer our clients
A holistic and integrated approach to help you with your data space initiative
PwC brings extensive experience across the core capabilities required for the development of data spaces. To support you best at your level, while connecting you to the broader context, our Centre of Excellence covers most European countries with local teams acquainted with industry or sector-specific knowledge and all required capabilities.
This brings together the power of a distributed network with the expertise you need, close to you.
This is what our Centre of Excellence is about.
Core capabilities
Identify relevant use cases and references on data spaces as well as our approach to demonstrate value, build trust, and support your project, from inspiration through delivery.
Developing a data space strategy is essential for aligning initiatives with market dynamics and organisational goals. A clear strategic direction is essential to shape effective and sustainable data space initiatives. This begins with a comprehensive understanding of the market landscape, stakeholder ecosystem, and emerging trends across sectors. It involves defining a shared strategic vision, establishing common objectives, and developing a roadmap that aligns technical, operational, and governance components.
Strategic planning ensures that all efforts are coordinated, scalable, and geared towards long-term value creation.
Identifying and developing effective use cases is key to unlocking the value of data spaces.
This involves exploring potential scenarios, assessing feasibility, and prioritising initiatives based on strategic relevance, stakeholder needs, and expected outcomes. We support this process by guiding ideation workshops, validating concepts, and helping you focus on the most promising opportunities ensuring your data space investments deliver real-world value and impact.
Common use cases for the participants in a data space are fundamental to understand the purpose of it and move on with the other aspects of a data space such as the governance, the infrastructure or the data to be exchanged.
Effective governance in data spaces is crucial for ensuring secure, compliant, and ethical data management. This involves establishing comprehensive governance frameworks and data stewardship policies that clearly define roles, responsibilities, and rules for data access andusage.
Such frameworks facilitate trust and cooperation among all participants while ensuring optimal integration and alignment with regulatory and ethical standards.
If many data spaces adopt a federated approach for their governance, more centralised and decentralised data spaces exist. PwC brings experience from different initiatives through this single-entry point, our Centre of Excellence.
Engaging with technology partners is essential for enhancing the capabilities of a data space. This involves identifying aligned partners and developing structured collaboration frameworks that define shared objectives, responsibilities, and mechanisms for value exchange.
Whether with partnerships and alliances with strong players such as Microsoft, AWS, SAP, etc. or specific solutions like Eclipse Dataspace Component (EDC), Solid or any local solutions, PwC brings together the right parties to build what you need.
We assist in proposal development and define innovative business models to unlock new opportunities within the data space landscape.
Building a successful data space requires a carefully designed architecture that supports sovereignty, scalability, security, and interoperability.
This involves selecting the right technologies for data storage, processing, and exchange, and ensuring that systems can communicate seamlessly through standardised protocols that enable semantic understanding and data sharing. PwC has a large recognition from clients in the fields of data architecture and data & semantic standardisation.
From feasibility studies to implementations, by carefully selecting technologies that enhance performance and adaptability, PwC builds agile infrastructures that meet current needs and anticipate future growth.
With often tens of organisations involved in building one data space, effective management of data space programmes is key to delivering structured, scalable, and successful initiatives. This includes careful planning and coordination, efficient allocation of resources, and proactive risk management to keep activities on track and aligned with strategic goals.
Strong programme management ensures clarity, reduces complexity, and helps deliver outcomes on time and within scope, while supporting collaboration across all stakeholders.
Public funding provides vital financial support for innovative data space projects in their first years, enabling organisations to pursue ambitious initiatives. This involves identifying suitable funding opportunities, understanding the funding landscape, crafting proposals that meet specific criteria, and defining viable business models to support project delivery.
We help navigate this process end to end—ensuring effective engagement with funders, unlocking key resources, and strengthening the impact and credibility of your initiatives.
Expertise across various domains
Explore examples of PwC's use cases
Meet our network
Connect locally or internationally with our team. We will ensure you get the best guidance from our network.
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