BAIDATA's 3rd General Assembly sets out an ambitious roadmap for the future of the association

25 de junho de 2024

DESCRIPCIÓN

• Óscar Lázaro, secretary of BAIDATA, focuses on the training of professionals and internationalization.
• The treasurer of the association, Tomás Iriondo, highlights the proactivity of the members as a key element for the growth of BAIDATA and the development of data spaces in the Iberian Peninsula.
• Before the assembly, a round table was held with the participation of Asier Sáez de Vicuña (EJIE) and Andoni Martin (CCASA).

Yesterday afternoon, June 24, the BAIDATA Association held its third General Assembly in the auditorium of the B Accelerator Tower (Bilbao) before a large representation of partners. A day of great importance for the fulfillment of the objectives of transparency that assumes the association and also in order to lay the strategic foundations for the coming years.

Before the start of the assembly, a round table moderated by Óscar Lázaro, secretary of BAIDATA and director of Innovalia Association, was held with the participation of Asier Sáez de Vicuña, general director of the Basque Government Informatics Society (EJIE), and Andoni Martín, head of the Digital Transformation unit of the Center of Alava (CCASA). In this colloquium on the current state of maturity of data spaces, Andoni Martín presented the latest advances and future prospects of the Mobility Lab initiative, which is currently in the process of developing a mobility and logistics data space for the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Martín also highlighted the enormous difficulty of being pioneers in the implementation of this type of project. Participating in the first data space initiatives at regional and national level is a fascinating opportunity, but organizations and professionals face the uncertainties of an incipient market in which there are still no solid standards to establish, for example, at what price a given data catalog should be offered. In this sense, Martín considers that public institutions must take a step forward and contribute value and resources to these ecosystems under construction in which there is interest and opportunities to obtain profitability.

Sáez de Vicuña, for his part, also focused on the work of public administrations, in this case to underline the efforts they must make to achieve a scenario that makes large-scale data exchange possible, for which it is necessary to ground and work on concepts such as trust and interoperability. Regarding data sharing between administrations, Sáez de Vicuña considers that these concepts are fundamental to move from a 'file-centric' conception to a 'data-centric' conception in which data is at the center of the organization as an asset of vital importance for productivity and efficiency.

A review of a key year for the consolidation of BAIDATA

After a short break during which members took the opportunity to exchange experiences and engage in more informal conversations, the general meeting began with a speech by BAIDATA's president, Jose Echezarra, who highlighted the milestones achieved by the association in its second year of existence. Subsequently, Óscar Lázaro gave a detailed review of the activities carried out by BAIDATA this year, including the promotion of pioneering initiatives, the launch of the second bonus program and the inauguration of the sectoral committees for the areas of Industry, Health, Mobility and Talent.

The BAIDATA secretary also delved into an essential concept for the future of the organization: internationalization. In the last months of 2023 and the first half of 2024, the association has taken an active part in European projects for strategic sectors such as Industry 4.0 (SM4RTENANCE), the circular economy (CIRPASS) or the cultural and creative industry (TEMS). Moreover, in its international scope, BAIDATA collaborates closely with organizations such as Gaia-X, BAIC, INDESIA, Catena-X, DSSC or DSBA Hubs, exporting the knowledge acquired in the projects implemented in Spain and Portugal and receiving valuable information from other European initiatives.

Lastly, the intervention of the treasurer, Tomás Iriondo, served to explain and approve BAIDATA's economic report and budget plan, as well as informing the members of other issues relating to the internal structure of the association. Iriondo closed the day by reminding the members of the importance of commitment and proactivity, fundamental aspects for the interest that exists in data spaces to be transformed into tangible projects that advance the sector and create an ecosystem that in turn facilitates the implementation of future initiatives. BAIDATA, through its training (BAIDATA Academy) and the new professional certification program initiated together with IDSA, will continue to promote this ecosystem and ensure that professionals and companies in Spain and Portugal have access to the tools and knowledge necessary to develop projects related to the data economy.