News and highlights

The advancements of Artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years have been transforming industries and societies globally. Most of the developments have been in the field of general-purpose AI (GPAI), which primarily focuses on generative AI using chatbots. The EU has therefore invested in the European High Performance Computing Join t Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) network of supercomputers, which are being adapted to train large-scale GPAI models and newer AI applications. These supercomputers are now being optimised in ecosystems known as AI Factories . In December of 2024, the EuroHPC JU

Latvia’s national open data portal, data.gov.lv , offers a user-friendly gateway to over 900 datasets from more than 100 publishers, covering a wide range of categories, from environment, education, and transport to specialised sections like science and technology or regional data. By making this information accessible in various formats and with easy-to-use filtering tools, the portal helps researchers, policymakers, and citizens alike to find exactly what they need, whether it’s high-value datasets or region-specific insights. What sets Latvia’s portal apart is its focus on encouraging data

In the summer, many Europeans take the opportunity to travel across the continent to explore and discover all it has to offer. In order to prepare accordingly, the EU Tourism Dashboard is a useful tool to navigate the European tourism ecosystem. The dashboard offers interactive visualisations to monitor both the green and digital transitions of European tourism. It covers all EU countries and, additionally, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland. The EU Tourism dashboard covers the green, digital, and socio-economic EU policy pillars to track progress towards more sustainable tourism in these terms

The European Interoperability Framework (EIF) was adopted by the European Commission in 2017 to provide guidance on how interoperable digital public services can be set up. This framework offers EU public administrations 47 concrete recommendations on improving governance of their interoperability activities, facilitating cross-organisational relationships, and streamlining processes that support end-to-end digital services. In order to make the recommendations actionable for users of the framework, the Commission created the EIF Toolbox . The toolbox is designed to guide national public

The European Union’s Space Programme is responsible for the implementation of space activities such as earth observation, satellite navigation, and space research. One of the main components of the programme is Copernicus , which is the European Earth Observation system. Named after European scientist and observer Nicolaus Copernicus, it offers insights drawn from satellite earth observations and in-situ (non-space) data. The information collected by Copernicus’ Sentinel satellites has been compiled and can be found on the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem (CDSE).  The CDSE provides access to

The global population has now surpassed 8 billion, and it’s expected to reach 9 billion by 2037 . Every year on 11 July, the World Population Day brings attention to these numbers and the people behind them. With population figures separated by age, ethnicity, gender, and other factors, the diversity of our societies can be reflected more accurately than before. However, the most marginalised communities remain under-represented in data, having profound effects on their lives and well-being. In the last thirty years, progress has been made in improving population data gathering, analysis, and

Register now for our upcoming webinar ‘Next steps to compliance: preparing for the EU AI Act’ , on Friday, 18 July 2025, from 10:00 to 11:00 CEST. This session will delve into the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act , helping stakeholders understand their legal obligations and exploring the potential of open data and AI. The EU AI Act , which entered into force on 1 August 2024, is the world’s first comprehensive AI regulation. It introduces a risk-based approach, placing new responsibilities on organisations that develop, use, or procure AI systems. With key obligations taking

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more influential, shaping how it can be used as a tool in serving the public good. To highlight the benefits that AI can provide for the public, ‘ AI for Public Good ’ was established by the European AI Office , which focuses on leveraging AI in an ethical and responsible way to create positive social impact. The European Commission pursues AI for Public Good by creating AI models and algorithms to work on major societal challenges. These open access models aim to stimulate collaboration and innovation. To structure the initiative, focus areas have been

The European Commission, in collaboration with Spark Legal and Policy Consulting, Capgemini Invent, Open Evidence, a legal expert from KU Leuven, and a network of national experts from Member States, is conducting an evaluation of three key EU data laws: the Free Flow of Non-Personal Data Regulation , the Open Data Directive (ODD), and the Data Governance Act . To guide this evaluation, the Commission is inviting citizens to share their views via targeted surveys. For the ODD, the surveys examine how open data provided by public sector bodies is being reused, the impact on innovation and the

This June, the data.europa academy hosted two educational webinars, diving into the potential of open data in marine environments and public procurement. Together, these sessions welcomed over 900 registrations on 13 and 27 June . The first session,  ‘Charting the currents: the potential of open marine data’ , took place on 13 June and explored how open marine data can support sustainable ocean governance, scientific research, and innovation. Guest speakers from the Marine Analyst and a professor of applied marine science and engineering shared insights into real-world applications, ranging