Public Open Data is a cornerstone of Europe’s digital transformation. By providing harmonised and facilitated access to datasets created and managed by public bodies, open data enables innovation, transparency, and participation across sectors. From improving public services to driving new products and business models, open data ensures that information collected with public resources is put to work for society.
Between 2014 and 2020, the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Telecom Programme funded 40 projects with a total EU contribution of nearly €47 million to strengthen public open data use. These projects covered a wide range of fields, from environmental forecasting and agriculture to smart cities, mobility, health, and cultural heritage. Innovative projects such as Geo-harmonizer (EU-wide automated mapping with machine learning), HIGHLANDER (processing data using HPC for climate forecasting and risk reduction), and ODALA (real-time Data Lakes for smart cities) illustrate the potential of open data in tackling climate change, improving urban management, and supporting sustainable farming.
Today, the Digital Europe Programme continues this legacy by supporting Common European Data Spaces: secure, interoperable ecosystems for sharing high-quality data across sectors. These include data spaces for cultural heritage, tourism, manufacturing, and skills. The aim is to boost the reuse of data, enable AI-driven solutions, and foster innovation while ensuring trust, security, and interoperability.
You can explore more about the projects, funding figures, and future opportunities in the newly published Public Open Data factsheet. Dive in to see how Europe is shaping a data-driven future that is open, innovative, and collaborative.
See the Public Open Data factsheet below:
Details
- Publication date
- 2 October 2025
- Author
- European Health and Digital Executive Agency
- Programme Sector
- Digital
- Programme
- Digital Europe Programme