“When will be the next meeting?”
This simple yet powerful question from a representative of the Slovak Academy of Sciences perfectly summed up the energy, enthusiasm, and engagement that filled the room during our recent DevelopDataExchange workshop in Bratislava.
The event, held at the premises of the Republic Union of Employers (RÚZ), marked an important milestone in the ongoing implementation of the DevelopDataExchange project, co-funded by the Interreg Danube Region Programme. The full-day workshop brought together more than 20 experts and stakeholders from research, government, industry, and civil society – all united by one goal: building capacity and enabling meaningful data exchange across sectors in the Danube region.
A Cross-Sector Dialogue on Data Exchange
At the heart of the workshop was a dynamic discussion about data cooperation in three priority sectors:
- Space
- Manufacturing
- Energy
These areas were selected for their strategic relevance and transformative potential when it comes to unlocking the value of data. Through case studies, mapping of national initiatives, and facilitated discussions, participants identified concrete opportunities for collaboration, as well as the technical and organizational challenges that need to be addressed to enable cross-border, cross-sector data ecosystems.
Key Participants and Insights
We were proud to host a diverse and highly engaged group of partners and guests, including:
- Slovak Academy of Sciences
- Slovak Technical University in Bratislava
- Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic
- Republiková únia zamestnávateľov (RÚZ)
- ShredCorp, Inc.
- bAvenir
- CzechInno, z.s.p.o.
- Gaia-X Association for Data and Cloud (AISBL)
- And several independent innovators and ecosystem builders
Special thanks go to Olga Trofymova, Tereza Šamanová, David Kratochvil, Martin Palou, Michal Brichta, Mário Németh, and Jozef Markovič for their contributions and inspiration.
Connecting to the European Data Space Vision
The workshop clearly demonstrated that regional cooperation on data sharing is not only needed, but wanted. Stakeholders from all sectors expressed interest in continuing the dialogue and co-creating solutions that reflect both European strategies – such as the European Strategy for Data and Gaia-X – and regional specifics of the Danube area.
The outputs of this workshop will directly contribute to the next phase of the DevelopDataExchange project, which focuses on building institutional capacity, developing action plans, and preparing the ground for pilot implementations in the selected sectors.
What’s Next?
The big question now is: “When will be the next meeting?”
And the answer is – soon. The feedback and momentum generated by this event show that there is a strong demand for more structured collaboration and knowledge exchange. We look forward to hosting future sessions and working groups as we take concrete steps toward a more connected, interoperable, and resilient data ecosystem in the Danube region.
Stay tuned for updates from the DevelopDataExchange project and other activities of the Industry Innovation Cluster, as we continue to support data-driven transformation across Europe.
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