Spain’s Data Revolution: Leading the Future of Data Spaces
From Open Data Leader to Data Space Pioneer
Spain ranks #1 in open data portal quality, excelling in data-sharing infrastructure and governance. With a 96% open data policy maturity score, it surpasses the EU average, reinforcing its commitment to transparency and digital innovation.
€500 Million to Accelerate Data Spaces
The Spanish government is investing €500 million from EU recovery funds to develop data spaces across key sectors by 2026. This initiative will drive digital transformation, competitiveness, and innovation, with Spain’s data economy projected to contribute over 5% of GDP (€72.45 billion) by 2030.
Expanding a Secure Data Ecosystem
Spain’s Sectoral Data Spaces Program, aligned with the European Data Strategy, supports secure data sharing across industries. With 164 private-sector applications, key focus areas include:
- Health – 37 projects advancing medical research and digital health services, integrating with the European Health Data Space (EHDS).
- Sustainable Mobility – 35 initiatives optimizing urban transport via the EDIM platform.
- Agri-Food – 30 projects enhancing supply chain transparency through the EU-wide AgriDataSpace.
- Energy & Industry – Strengthening smart grids and industrial data exchange via projects like Gaia-X Energy Data Space and DATACELLAR.
A Future Built on Trusted Data Sharing
By implementing the European Data Act and supporting climate-focused data-sharing under the EU Green Deal, Spain is setting a European benchmark—proving that secure, scalable data sharing fuels economic growth and innovation.
Sources:
- Data Europa. EU. (2024). Open data maturity. https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/country-factsheet_spain_2024.pdf
- González, P. (2024). El Gobierno anuncia un plan de 500 millones para impulsar la creación de ‘espacios de datos’. https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2024-11-21/el-gobierno-anuncia-un-plan-de-500-millones-para-impulsar-la-creacion-de-espacios-de-datos.html
- BAIDATA. (2024). The ‘Sectoral Data Spaces’ funding program receives 164 applications to promote data space projects. https://www.baidata.eu/en/the-sectoral-data-spaces-funding-program-receives-164-applications-to-promote-data-space-projects
- Oficina del Dato. (2024). Espacios de Datos como lugar de creación de valor. https://portalayudas.digital.gob.es/Programa_Espacios_Datos_Sectoriales/Documents/Presentacion_Espacios_Datos-Ministerio_TransfDigitalFuncPub.pdf
