Mithun A. Sridharan is the Founder & Managing Director of Think Insights, a thought leader in strategy, management, data literacy and more.
The EU Data Act, set to take effect on September 12, 2025, seeks to enhance the EU’s data economy by making enterprise data accessible and usable. It mandates data sharing among businesses, startups and public agencies, establishes rules for accessing and using data generated by connected products and provides fair data monetization policies.
While this Act presents new frontiers for data-driven innovation and competition through increased data sharing, it simultaneously introduces challenges for enterprises that traditionally relied on their data moats (i.e., exclusive control of data as a competitive edge).
What are the available strategic technology options?
From a business strategy perspective, deploying technology as a strategic response would help such enterprises to both comply with the mandates of the EU Data Act and derive value from their data assets. Such companies have a range of technical platforms to choose from.
1. Cloud data warehouses offer scalable storage and analytical processing for large data volumes.
2. Data hubs serve as centralized repositories for collecting, organizing and distributing data.
3. Online data exchange platforms facilitate secure data sharing among companies.
4. API management systems provide standardized and governed (controlled) data access.
5. Integration platforms enable real-time data sharing as required by the Act by connecting disparate systems and streamlining data flows via industry-standard interfaces and machine-readable formats.
6. Data governance tools assist in maintaining data quality, privacy and security measures.
7. Blockchain technologies provide transparent and immutable records of data transactions.
8. Data cataloging solutions help identify and classify data assets, including those that contain sensitive or proprietary information.
From my experience building data platforms—more recently as part of an industry-wide consortium—a data marketplace presents itself as the most compelling alternative in the context of the EU Data Act.
What is a data marketplace?
Data marketplaces are digital platforms that facilitate the buying, selling and sharing of data among multiple stakeholders, such as businesses, individuals and third parties.
At its core, data marketplaces provide robust technical infrastructure for data management—from data sourcing through exchange and discovery to data consumption and analytics. In addition, they also offer scalable in-built processes for removing friction for data management activities and when transacting with third parties.
In addition, they support diverse business models, data monetization strategies and dispute resolution mechanisms, and enforce fair and transparent data-sharing practices. These critical aspects ensure the technical platform complies with the EU Data Act while providing a positive user experience to support a thriving data economy.
In line with the Data Act’s requirements, data marketplaces offer standardized integration and interoperability environments as well as data formats, protocols and APIs for easy data sharing and portability. These aspects facilitate seamless data exchange among disparate organizations, systems and users. Other key features of data marketplaces include search, cataloging and metadata, which aids easy discoverability by data consumers.
Integrated privacy measures and security features, including encryption and access controls, safeguard data and ensure adherence to stringent data protection standards. These controls allow only authorized users to access specific datasets. Furthermore, consent management features guarantee that data is shared only with the user’s explicit consent, adhering to both GDPR and the Data Act.
Data marketplaces typically incorporate robust transaction layers, payment gateways and consumption tracking features to facilitate transparency around consumption and pricing. Payment gateway integrations provide smooth financial transactions and settlements across multiple payment methods and currencies.
These components work together to create a smooth, transparent and accountable ecosystem for data commerce, enhancing trust and efficiency in the marketplace. Often, marketplaces leverage advanced technologies such as blockchain to ensure transaction transparency, traceability, security, auditability, accountability and tamper-proof data exchange.
Data marketplaces are incomplete without the quality assurance and certification components to enhance trust by validating the utility and warranty aspects and the quality of data transacted upon. Furthermore, industry certifications, legal verifications and validations by third-party auditors provide compliance with regulatory standards set forth by the Data Act as well as prevent security breaches and intellectual property infringements.
How can data marketplaces help achieve compliance?
Data marketplaces help achieve compliance with the EU Data Act through business-technology platforms that align with the regulation’s key objectives.
First, they facilitate data sharing by acting as intermediaries that bridge users of connected products on one side to share their data with third parties on the other side. These platforms provide the necessary technical and contractual measures to ensure that data sharing occurs in accordance with regulatory requirements.
Second, data marketplaces ensure fair compensation by establishing standardized business and pricing models as well as contractual frameworks. These guarantee fair compensation for data holders (i.e., legal or natural persons who have the right or obligation to make certain data available).
Third, they implement robust technical measures to promote security and interoperability. Data marketplaces adopt standardized data formats, structures and vocabularies, ensuring seamless data flow across the data ecosystem, enabling both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) participants to engage in data sharing aligned with the intent of the Data Act.
Fourth, data marketplaces support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups, as these platforms offer tailored services and support, helping these entities participate in the data economy and benefit from data-sharing opportunities.
Finally, data marketplaces level the playing field and promote fair competition as envisioned by the Data Act. By providing a governed and neutral platform for data exchange, they increase accessibility to diverse data sources, enabling businesses to gain new insights and develop innovative products and services, thereby promoting data-driven innovation.
To Sum Up
Data marketplaces provide a strategic and persuasive alternative for companies seeking a simultaneous pursuit of both achieving compliance with the Data Act and monetizing data. Data marketplaces provide secure platforms for standardized, fair and transparent data exchange, thereby promoting innovation in the data economy. By leveraging data marketplaces, businesses can gain competitive advantages in the data economy while staying compliant with the EU Data Act.
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