We Need National and European Data Institutes

© Ian Battaglia auf Unsplash

In this article, Benjamin Risse, Tim Hahn, Mario Ohlberger, and Thomas Nikolaus argue that Europe must establish national and European data institutes to remain competitive in the digital age and AI development. They compare the current data-driven AI revolution to the industrial and scientific transformations of the 19th and 20th centuries, emphasizing that while technology itself becomes more widespread, access to high-quality, structured data remains crucial.

They propose creating publicly funded data institutes that would collect, process, and provide access to diverse data sources—ranging from open to proprietary data. These institutes would serve as engines ("refineries") of the AI revolution, boosting research, innovation, and economic growth, while ensuring AI development aligns with European values such as transparency and trust.

Open data is highlighted as a key catalyst for creativity, akin to open-source software. The authors argue that new institutions, well-funded and well-connected to both academia and industry, are necessary to manage and refine data, support data privacy, and make data-driven innovation more accessible.

They call for strong political will and targeted funding—such as the EU’s Invest-AI initiative—to establish a few powerful data centers with the resources and mandates to support Europe's digital transformation. By doing so, Europe could not only gain technological sovereignty but also promote socially responsible AI ("AI made in Europe").

The article was published in German in the newspaper "Frankfurter Allgemeine" on 7 April 2025: https://zeitung.faz.net/faz/digitalwirtschaft/2025-04-07/wir-brauchen-nationale-und-europaeische-dateninstitute/1151256.html?GEPC=s3

The authors:

  • Prof. Dr. Benjamin Risse is the Managing Director of the Institute for Applied Computer Science and head of the "Computer Vision and Machine Learning Systems" research group at the University of Münster.
  • Prof. Dr. Tim Hahn leads the Medical Machine Learning Lab at the University Hospital of Münster.
  • Prof. Dr. Mario Ohlberger is the spokesperson for the Excellence Cluster Mathematics Münster at the University of Münster.
  • Prof. Dr. Thomas Nikolaus is also a spokesperson for the Excellence Cluster Mathematics Münster at the University of Münster.