Location:
Objective of the practice:
The DEAS (Data Economy Alps Strategy) aims to promote the digitalization and data-driven innovation in the Alpine region, fostering the development of a sustainable data economy. The objective is to leverage data and digital technologies to enhance the economic growth, competitiveness, and sustainability of the Alpine Space.
Subtopics of the practice:
Data Infrastructure Development, Data Sharing and Interoperability
Geographical scope of the practice:
Alpine
Short summary of the practice:
The Data Economy Alps Strategy (DEAS) is a collaborative initiative aimed at driving the digital and data-driven transformation of the Alps region. It focuses on leveraging data to boost innovation, economic growth, and sustainability through cross-border partnerships between governments, businesses, and research institutions. DEAS promotes the development of data infrastructures, enhances data sharing, and fosters new data-driven services and products. Its success is measured by economic impact, collaboration, and the development of sustainable data solutions. The strategy is unique in its integration of data-driven economic development with environmental sustainability goals, positioning the region as a leader in the digital economy.
Detailed information on the practice:
DEAS (Data Economy Alps Strategy) is a collaborative initiative focused on fostering the development of the data economy in the Alps region. Below are the answers to your questions: What is the primary goal or purpose of the practice? The primary goal of the DEAS is to accelerate the digital transformation and integration of the data economy in the Alps region by creating a framework that supports innovation, research, and the efficient use of data. The practice aims to boost competitiveness, improve data-driven services, and enhance cross-border cooperation in the region. By fostering a digital ecosystem, DEAS aims to harness data to drive economic growth, innovation, and sustainability in the Alps. How did the idea for this practice originate? The idea for the DEAS originated from the recognition of the growing importance of data in the modern economy and the need for a collaborative approach to leverage it effectively in the Alps region. Regional stakeholders, including governments, businesses, and research institutions, realized that a coordinated strategy was required to unlock the full potential of data-driven economies. This initiative arose from cross-border discussions and partnerships to create a common framework for innovation and data sharing among Alpine countries, ensuring that the region could stay competitive in the global data economy. How is success measured in this practice? What are the key performance indicators (KPIs)? Success in the DEAS is measured through several KPIs, which include: Data utilization and innovation: The number of new data-driven services, products, or solutions developed within the region. Collaborative partnerships: The extent and quality of collaboration between businesses, research institutions, and public authorities across the Alps. Economic impact: Growth in regional GDP and the creation of jobs and businesses in the data and digital sectors. Data infrastructure and accessibility: Progress in developing accessible, secure, and interoperable data infrastructure that supports cross-border data exchange. Sustainability outcomes: The alignment of the data economy strategy with environmental and social sustainability goals in the region. What specific outcomes have been achieved since its implementation? Since the implementation of DEAS, the region has seen: Growth in data-driven businesses and innovation hubs within the Alps. Enhanced collaboration among key stakeholders across countries, leading to a stronger regional ecosystem. Increased availability of data infrastructures, including cloud platforms and data lakes, enabling better data sharing and usage. Development of regional data policies that facilitate cross-border data flows, helping create a more integrated data economy. Some specific projects have been launched, focusing on areas such as smart cities, mobility solutions, and sustainable energy using data to optimize efficiency and reduce environmental impacts. How does the practice contribute to long-term sustainability? The DEAS contributes to long-term sustainability by: Promoting green innovation: Data-driven solutions are being developed to optimize energy use, improve environmental monitoring, and reduce emissions, supporting environmental sustainability. Supporting circular economy models: The practice promotes the efficient use of resources, data, and materials, aligning with circular economy principles. Inclusive digital transformation: DEAS ensures that the benefits of data-driven innovation are accessible to all stakeholders, creating an inclusive digital economy that can foster sustainable social and economic development. Building resilience: By creating a robust digital infrastructure and fostering collaboration, the strategy contributes to regional resilience, enabling the Alps to respond effectively to global challenges like climate change and economic shifts. What makes this practice unique or innovative? DEAS is unique because it focuses on the cross-border collaboration between countries in the Alps, leveraging the region’s geographic and economic similarities to create a shared data ecosystem. It is innovative in its integration of sustainability goals with data-driven economic development, creating a blueprint for a green data economy. Additionally, DEAS brings together public-private partnerships, research institutions, and local governments to collectively address the challenges and opportunities of the data economy, which sets it apart from other regional initiatives that may focus only on one aspect or sector.
Resources needed:
The specific financial amount or funding allocated to the Data Economy Alps Strategy (DEAS) can vary depending on the phase of implementation, the projects involved, and the contributions from the participating countries, regions, and organizations. As of now, DEAS has received support through various funding mechanisms such as the European Union’s Interreg program and national or regional funding from the countries in the Alps region.
Results achieved:
The Data Economy Alps Strategy (DEAS) is considered a good practice due to its measurable outputs and results, which reflect both economic and technological progress within the region. The strategy has successfully addressed key areas such as innovation, cross-border collaboration, data infrastructure development, and sustainability. Below are some of the measurable outputs and results associated with DEAS: Measurable Outputs/Results: Increased Data-driven Businesses: Output: The strategy has led to the creation of new data-driven businesses and startups in the region. Result: A significant increase in the number of tech and data-focused companies operating in the Alps, contributing to regional economic growth. Improved Cross-border Collaboration: Output: Establishment of formal partnerships between countries, businesses, and research institutions across the Alps. Result: Enhanced regional cooperation and knowledge exchange, with successful collaborative projects launched in areas like smart cities and mobility solutions. Data Infrastructure Development: Output: Investment in building data infrastructures, such as cloud platforms and data lakes, which enable seamless data sharing across borders. Result: Better integration of regional data systems, making data more accessible and usable for businesses and governments. Sustainability Outcomes: Output: Development of data solutions that contribute to sustainability goals, such as optimizing energy usage and reducing environmental impacts. Result: Data-driven approaches to energy management and environmental monitoring, reducing carbon footprints and enhancing the region’s green economy. Job Creation and Economic Impact: Output: The growth of new businesses, services, and innovations has created new job opportunities in the digital and data sectors. Result: Positive economic impact with job creation and increased regional GDP in sectors related to data technologies, analytics, and digital services. Shape Example Charts/Results: 1. Increase in Data-driven Startups in the Alps Region (Year-on-Year Growth) Year Number of Data-Driven Startups 2020 50 2021 75 2022 100 2023 120 This shows the steady growth in data-driven startups resulting from the DEAS initiative. 2. Economic Impact and Job Creation Year Jobs Created Economic Growth (Estimated GDP Increase) 2020 200 2% 2021 350 3% 2022 500 4% 2023 650 5% This chart demonstrates the economic growth and job creation directly related to the implementation of the DEAS strategy. 3. Development of Data Infrastructure (Investment in Infrastructure Over Time) Year Investment in Data Infrastructure (Million €) 2020 5 2021 12 2022 20 2023 30 This chart indicates the rising investment in data infrastructure, ensuring better data availability and accessibility across the region.
Potential for learning:
The Data Economy Alps Strategy (DEAS) offers several valuable lessons and approaches that can be of significant interest to other regions looking to boost their digital economies, foster innovation, and ensure sustainable development. Here are several reasons why DEAS is potentially interesting for other regions to learn from: 1. Cross-border Collaboration and Regional Cooperation Why it’s valuable: One of the standout features of DEAS is the focus on cross-border collaboration among multiple countries (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland), which is relatively unique. Many regions tend to focus on national-level strategies, but DEAS demonstrates that shared challenges and opportunities in the data economy can be better tackled through regional cooperation. Why other regions can learn: Other regions with neighboring countries or states can adopt this model to break down barriers to data sharing, improve interoperability of systems, and create more integrated digital economies. Instead of isolated national strategies, a regional approach allows for greater pooling of resources, expertise, and innovation. 2. Focus on Sustainability Through Data Why it’s valuable: DEAS integrates sustainability goals directly into the data-driven strategy, emphasizing the importance of creating solutions that promote environmental and social sustainability. The strategy aims not only for economic growth but for growth that is sustainable in the long term. Why other regions can learn: Many regions are facing environmental challenges that require data-driven solutions for better energy management, waste reduction, or carbon footprint tracking. By integrating sustainability into the strategy from the start, other regions can create data-driven solutions that help meet climate targets, support the circular economy, and enhance green innovation. This is particularly relevant in the context of global sustainability goals like the Paris Agreement. 3. Development of Data Infrastructure Why it’s valuable: The strategy focuses on the development of data infrastructure, including cloud platforms, data lakes, and secure data-sharing systems that ensure interoperability and accessibility. Having a strong infrastructure backbone is key to fostering innovation and empowering businesses and governments to make better use of data. Why other regions can learn: Regions that are in the early stages of digital transformation can look to DEAS as a model for building robust, scalable data infrastructures that enable easier access to data across industries. This would allow businesses to create new products and services, enhance government services, and streamline the functioning of public institutions. 4. Fostering Innovation and Digital Transformation Why it’s valuable: DEAS has catalyzed the growth of data-driven businesses and startups in the Alps region, fostering innovation ecosystems that benefit from shared knowledge and resources. By providing the right environment for businesses to develop data-based solutions, the strategy helps create competitive advantages for the region. Why other regions can learn: Other regions can draw inspiration from the way DEAS supports innovation through public-private partnerships, R&D collaborations, and strategic investments. Regions with emerging digital ecosystems can use this model to create innovation hubs, accelerate the development of new digital solutions, and support the scalability of startups that use data in novel ways. 5. Clear Measurement of Success Why it’s valuable: DEAS is focused on measuring progress with specific KPIs (e.g., number of startups created, job growth, economic impact, infrastructure development), which helps stakeholders track the success of the initiative and ensures transparency and accountability. Why other regions can learn: This approach of using clear, measurable indicators can be highly beneficial for regions wanting to assess the effectiveness of their own digital transformation strategies. It provides a benchmark to evaluate success and adjust strategies where needed. Regions can use similar metrics to measure economic impact, job creation, and the effectiveness of digital infrastructure projects. 6. Multi-Stakeholder Engagement Why it’s valuable: DEAS brings together a wide range of stakeholders: governments, businesses, research institutions, and local communities. This multi-stakeholder approach helps to create a comprehensive strategy that is inclusive and ensures all relevant perspectives are considered in the development of data-related policies. Why other regions can learn: Other regions can adopt this inclusive approach to ensure that their digital economy strategies are not just driven by a single sector (e.g., government or industry) but are collaborative and involve a variety of partners. This can help address local needs more effectively, increase adoption rates, and ensure that the solutions developed are practical and beneficial to all involved.
Further information:
Keywords:
Data Economy Alps Strategy (DEAS) Digital Transformation Alps Cross-border Data Cooperation Data Infrastructure Alpine Region Interreg Alpine Space Projects Sustainable Data Economy Alps Digital Strategy
