The European Alliance for Research Excellence: from text and data mining to open data

In 2017 we launched the European Alliance for Research Excellence (EARE) with one objective: to ensure that European copyright rules would both protect rightsholders and enable European innovators to harness the power of data through a robust text and data mining exception. Since then, articles 3 and 4 of the Copyright Directive brought much needed clarity for all entities at the forefront of the research and innovation ecosystem in Europe, allowing them to lawfully access the data they need to compete globally in areas such as Artificial Intelligence.

In 2020, the world has changed. The COVID-19 crisis showed the pressing need to accelerate the digital transformation of the global economy, and with it the need to have clear rules regarding data sharing and access. With tech- and data-based solutions supporting the work of front-line stakeholders in the fight against COVID-19, this crisis also showed that having access to large amounts of data can help make better, more informed decisions, faster.

We believe that now is the time for European policy-makers to create the right framework and incentives to allow all those who participate in the data economy to leverage the power of data and benefit society. And done right, Europe’s Data Strategy can unlock tremendous new opportunities for European researchers and innovators.

EARE is indeed convinced that the best way to unlock the value of data can be to share it with others. As Benedikt Blomeyer, Director of EU Policy at EARE founding member Allied for Startups, said:

“An entrepreneur is just a good idea and a dataset away from building a new unicorn”.

 

That is why EARE will now continue to advocate for Europe to adopt forward-looking legislations when it comes to sharing, accessing and using data, with a focus on Europe’s upcoming Data Strategy. We believe that making data “as open as possible and as closed as necessary” is critically important to foster collaboration and help drive European research and competitiveness. In short, making data more open and accessible while respecting security and privacy will ensure Europe’s future prosperity.