BDV Big Data Value Association BDV Big Data Value Association
Home  /  Task Forces  /  BDVA Data Labs Initiative 
BDVA Task Forces

BDVA Data Labs Initiative

Focus and activities

To establish a clear, visible, and coordinated framework within BDVA for all activities related to Data Labs, fully leveraging existing Task Forces and initiatives, and bringing together relevant stakeholders and experts within BDVA community.

Objectives

This initiative aims to:

  • Provide a focal point for engagement with external stakeholders and policy makers
  • Ensure coherence and alignment across Data Labs initiatives and domains
  • Support evidence-based guidance for future phases and investments
  • Strengthen BDVA’s strategic contribution to European data and AI policies, including future funding programmes

 

Foundations

The initiative builds on prior BDVA discussions and recent publications, including:

  • AI Factories and the data challenge, highlighting the critical need for AI Factories to access large volumes of high-quality data for the development and training of advanced AI models, and clarifying the role of data ecosystems in enabling this access.
  • Towards a European AI-data value ecosystem: BDVA response to the AI Continent Action Plan, including a dedicated annex on Data Labs that identifies key challenges and provides strategic recommendations.
  • Data at the core of Europe’s Digital Strategy: BDVA input to the European Data Union Strategy, positioning Data Labs as a foundational framework for accelerating the development of AI-data value ecosystems.
  • AI-ready Data Products, extending the data product paradigm to address the specific requirements of AI development and deployment, helping bridge the gap between data and AI communities.

 

Strategic areas and priorities

The initiative focuses on the following:

  • Ecosystem mapping and clarification, including roles, dependencies, and value chains across the ecosystem, and interfaces and relationships with, among others, AI Factories, Data Spaces, EDIHs, BDVA i-Spaces, and AI TEFs.
  • Monitor and document early Data Labs implementations, particularly those under AI Factories, and evidence building from lessons learned from proofs of concept, pilots, and proof-of-deployment activities
  • Strategic guidance for future phases of Data Labs, including investment needs, opportunities for synergies, areas for new pilots, needs for reference frameworks and use cases.
  • Sustainability and economic models, including funding modalities, long-term viability and money flows across the entire ecosystem.
  • Governance, quality, and trust, contributing to quality frameworks, trust mechanisms, and governance and licensing approaches.
  • Interoperability and standards gap analysis, identifying priority areas for alignment and coordination
  • Structured dialogue with the European Commission and other stakeholders

 

Participation

The initiative is open to all BDVA members with a special focus on those:

  • Delivering first stage Data Labs (as part of AIFs) and data spaces
  • Providing services aligned with what is described in the European Data Union Strategy
  • Interested in shaping the evolution of Data Labs

The participation will also include targeted invitations to external experts who can contribute with their expertise based on their knowledge and the role they are playing in the landscape (see next section) and enrich the discussions.

 

Key Stakeholders

In order to achieve its objectives, the initiative will link with the following stakeholders:

  • AI Factories
  • BDVA i-Spaces and European Digital Innovation Hubs
  • Data Spaces projects and ecosystem
  • European Commission
  • Data Spaces Support Center
  • Research projects implementing use cases in this area
  • IPCEI AI
  • Standardisation bodies
  • EOSC
  • SIMPL

 

Past and next steps

  • Preparatory meetings and collection of requirements (December 2025)
  • Elaboration of the mandate (January 2026)
  • Approval from the BDVA Board of Directors (9th January 2026)
  • Public announcement (Data Spaces Symposium, 10th January 2026)
  • First meeting with members (5th March)
  • Working groups and outcomes (TBD)

 

BDVA Data Labs Initiative kick-off meeting

 

On March 6th (10:00 – 11:30 CET), BDVA is organising the first meeting of its recently launched initiative on Data Labs, recognised as key building blocks for Europe’s strategy to strengthen its AI ecosystem, enabling safe, trustworthy and value-creating use of data for AI.

This initiative’s main objective is to establish a unifying framework that coordinates activities and discussions across BDVA to support and accelerate the development and impact of current and future Data Labs. It will bring together key stakeholders from BDVA community and engage experts to ensure rich discussions and actionable outcomes. The work will build on recently published BDVA materials (AI Factories and the data challenge, AI-ready Data Products, Towards a European AI-data value ecosystem, Data at the core of Europe’s Digital Strategy) to clarify the landscape, map and align existing initiatives, define an evidence-based monitoring process to identify actors and projects that can contribute to establishing Data Labs and provide strategic guidance for future phases.

The initiative and this first meeting is open to all BDVA members, with particular focus in those who are: (i) delivering first stage Data Labs (as part of AI Factories) and data spaces, (ii) providing services aligned with what is described in the European Data Union Strategy and (iii) interested in shaping the evolution of Data Labs towards the next financial EU programmes.

Contact innovation@bdva.eu for more details!