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Data Week 2024 – Luxembourg Takeaways

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18/12/24

The 2024 Data Week trilogy concluded on 10 December 2024, in Luxembourg, through an event organised in collaboration with LIST, Netcompany-Intrasoft SA and Luxembourg National Data Service (LNDS). Data Week – Luxembourg took place at Novotel Luxemb...

The 2024 Data Week trilogy concluded on 10 December 2024, in Luxembourg, through an event organised in collaboration with LIST, Netcompany-Intrasoft SA and Luxembourg National Data Service (LNDS). Data Week – Luxembourg took place at Novotel Luxembourg Kirchberg one day prior to the Data Summit Luxembourg organised by LNDS, which allowed participants to join both events.

The last Data Week chapter of 2024 gathered 115 participants from the European Data & AI ecosystem, alongside top representatives of the local scene. 46 speakers connected with the audience, as they shared knowledge, presenting their research and projects through 20 sessions.

The event brought the latest updates regarding the current state of play of the European Data Economy, showcased developments related to AI and Big Data activities, showcased applications of Data and AI innovation in the public sector and manufacturing Data Spaces, to name but a few of the topics.

Session takeaways:

During the session “Building the Future of Decision-Making: Human-AI Collaboration, Trust and Compliance in the Age of AI”, participants explored the outstanding impact of the latest research advancements of novel technologies on AI and Trustworthy AI / Human in the loop. It was captivating to see how different projects use cases aligned to diverse markets on robotics, fintech or telco’s markets. We extend our thanks to Ioannis Soldatos and the multiple projects for their insights – Extra-Brain, Talon, Evenflow and humanAIne for sharing their expertise and to Evangelia Markidou and to the European Commission for their contribution and relentless support.
“AI-Ready Data Products” explored the concept of data products through the lens of their potential use in AI applications. Experts discussed various aspects, including metadata descriptions, data quality, data provenance, the role of data products in transactions and data spaces and more, always considering their application for AI. The conversation focused on refining the data product paradigm to better align with the unique needs of AI applications, as well as practical strategies for adoption by industry and businesses.
“Manufacturing Data Spaces, as the Data Infrastructure for advanced AI applications ” efforts to address data-sharing challenges were emphasised for the integration of solutions from various sectors, such as manufacturing and energy, to improve overall efficiency. Establishing connections between data spaces is essential, avoiding siloed verticals and fostering collaboration. Also, the simplification of processes for companies should be a priority, as the high costs of participation in data spaces may act as a deterrent.The participants concluded that although the tools for data sharing exist, obtaining usable data remains a critical barrier for the development of this market. Nevertheless, European companies must embrace data sharing and compromise to unlock its benefits, such as leveraging digital twins. As outlined during the opening speech of the European Commission at Data Week, collaboration across funded projects is key, as many initiatives address different aspects of the same overarching challenge. However, promoting data-sharing initiatives is difficult for the European Commission due to low market readiness and limited applications for such solutions. Businesses need a clearer understanding of the benefits of data sharing.
“Manufacturing Data Spaces, as the Data Infrastructure for Digital Product Passports” was focused on the Digital Product Passport (DPP) and addressed some key challenges related to it, such as the inclusion of spare parts tracking and extension of DPP applicability to production processes. While there are no technical barriers to applying the DPP to production of any material (including agricultural products), concerns persist regarding its cost-effectiveness, particularly for producers like those in the battery sector. Data models and representations are critical, with interoperability posing a major challenge. Many organisations have historically built isolated systems that resist data sharing, complicating efforts to create interoperability-friendly frameworks. Despite these challenges, the DPP initiative is collaborating with five European Directorate-Generals (DGs) under a unified framework, enabling the EC to address these issues holistically.
“Unlocking innovation through synthetic data: Hands-on approaches leveraging community collaboration for Impactful experiments” offered a transformative opportunity for boosting data innovation while addressing critical privacy challenges. This session was designed to explore the practicalities of using synthetic data in real-world applications, drawing on lessons learned from community members and aiming at designing future experiments and building collaborations. Participants engaged in hands-on exercises to design experiments leveraging synthetic data, gaining insight into its utility and governance implications. The session also covered standards and best practices for ensuring synthetic data utility and reliability.
The “Automated and data-driven approaches to address compliance challenges” session explored the complex and evolving regulatory landscape impacting data operations and the role of technology in navigating this legislation “jungle.” The session offered an overview of EU support through HE and DEP programs, focusing on projects that address data compliance, green and AI-driven data operations, and connecting with key ecosystems like Data Spaces—essential for compliant data sharing. The session included presentations from 3 new HE projects: ACHILLES, Data Pact, and ACCOMPLISH, which offered their approaches towards a future where compliance becomes more seamless, scalable, and impactful across industries, stakeholders and ecosystems including the DSSC and the Common EU Data Spaces (where a connection is expected). Discussions also covered the continuation of this topic under BDVA in 2025, with a focus on identifying gaps and future opportunities. In this context, an on-going mapping exercise that is launched by BDVA’s Policy and Societal TF was presented (with contributions expected from the HE projects as well) capturing dimensions of compliance, including purpose-driven frameworks, stakeholder roles, and the integration of advanced technologies to tackle complex compliance issues.

Discover all of the slide presentations either by consulting the programme or below: