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European Data Summit

Only a Common Digital Single Market will secure Tomorrow's Prosperity

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European Data Summit Titelbild Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V.
The European Data Summit takes place annually in autumn / winter

Data-driven innovations and a competitive, digital economy are crucial for the future sustainability of Germany and Europe. This is why the European Data Summit was launched back in 2018. Each of the three-day expert conferences organized by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung has a relevant thematic focus.

The impact of digitization on taxes and labor, on privacy and consumer rights, or on the sustainability of free journalism are just some of the topics that featured prominently in the discussions at the European Data Summit. Competition policy aspects in particular have moved to the focus of the summit. The functioning and effects in digital markets such as social media, e-commerce, search, and online advertising are intensively debated.

 

A Europe – Fit for the Digital Age

There are a number of economic reasons to believe that the market power of digital platforms, the so-called gatekeepers, will persist. The largest digital companies have shown growing market capitalization and the highest spending on new technologies since 2010. As a result, the positions of the largest companies are becoming stronger and pose a challenge to our social market economy. Therefore, a modernization of the European competition framework and the implementation of the European Strategy on Data are the main drivers of the European Data Summit.

The competitiveness of the digitized European economy has many facets. The Summit not only addresses necessary reactive policies against market distorting practices, but is much more dedicated to shaping digital policies in Europe. Only complementary instruments will lead to a stronger European digital economy in the longer term.

Access to and reuse of digital data in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are naturally at the center of the debate. We believe that the so far allegedly opposing categories of data protection and data usage should be further developed in an application-oriented manner.

 

How can digital competition be shaped fairly?

By organizing this event, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung advocates for digital markets to be supported by strong pro-competitive policies so that innovation opportunities emerge and fair competition takes place.

The Summit supports the efforts of the German government and German and European legislators to strengthen the data economy by permanently questioning whether a new legal framework is suitable for what is promised in retrospect.

Many prominent topics have been on the agenda of the European Data Summit so far:

  • What is GAIA-X doing on the way to Europe's digital sovereignty?
  • How should a legal framework for data trustees be designed?
  • What is meant by data donation? And what can we learn from Findata or the UK Open Data Institute?
  • ow does the Robert Koch Institute's data donation app work, and why is data donation so important for science?
  • Is the Facebook case of the German Federal Cartel Office also a guide for the other antitrust authorities in Europe?

The Summit aims to bring together experts who have a significant influence on the new legal framework in Europe. These range from high-level policymakers, European regulators and data activists to renowned competition economists.

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Media library

European Data Summit 2021
THE GDPR – The law of unintended consequences
Implementing and complementing it or fixing it? View our discussion on the GDPR at the European Data Summit 2021.
European Data Summit 2021
Interview with Francesco Bonfiglio, CEO GAIA-X AISBL
Francesco is determined to set with the GAIA-X the future cloud rulebook for the world. We met him after his keynote at the European Data Summit 2021 for a short interview.
European Data Summit 2021
Interview with Dr. Tommaso Valletti, Professor of Economics Imperial College London
Valletti specialized in industrial economics, regulation, and competition economics. We met him after his keynote at the European Data Summit 2021 for a short interview.
European Data Summit 2021
Interview with Dr. Markus Richter, Federal CIO German Government
Dr Markus Richter is State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community and Federal Chief Information Officer of the German Government.
European Data Summit 2021
Interview with Dr. Johnny Ryan, Senior Fellow ICCL / Open Markets Institute
Ryan is focused on surveillance, data rights, competition/anti-trust, and privacy. We met him after his keynote at the European Data Summit 2021 for a short interview.
Juliane Liebers
European Data Summit 2021
Recordings of the European Data Summit 2021
Wide range of topics: From data use by government agencies to the "blind spots" of the GDPR - The playlist of all videos for the European Data Summit 2021 can be found here.
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Juliane Liebers
European Data Summit 2020
Recordings of the European Data Summit 2020
"The winner takes it all" was the motto of the third European Data Summit. Here you can find a playlist of recordings of this year's event.
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European Data Summit 2019
Recordings of the European Data Summit 2019
The European Data Summit 2019 took place under the motto "Competition Matters". Click here for the playlist with interviews of this year's speakers.
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Juliane Liebers
European Data Summit 2018
Recordings of the European Data Summit 2018
„Common Values for the Single Market“ was the motto of the first European Data Summit. Here you can find a playlist of recordings of this year's event
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