The Brazilian Association of Internet of Things (ABINC) and the International Data Spaces Association (IDSA) highlighted during a panel at Futurecom 2024, the relevance of Data Spaces as pillars for the advancement of the new data economy in Brazil. The panel, moderated by Flávio Maeda, vice-president of ABINC, brought together leading experts, including Sonia Jimenez, director of IDSA; Isabela Gaya, Innovation Manager of the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI); Marcos Pinto, director of the Department of Competitiveness and Innovation of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC); and Rodrigo Pastl Pontes, director of Innovation of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), that brought different perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of Data Spaces for the data economy in Brazil
During the event, Sonia Jimenez highlighted that many companies still face barriers to maximizing the value generated from the data they collect, mainly due to the lack of trust in sharing information. "Companies generate a lot of data", but they are not getting the expected return. IDSA emerges as a solution to promote trust among the parties involved in the secure sharing of data, helping to overcome technological barriers and generating concrete benefits for businesses, Sonia stated
She also highlighted that the scenario is changing, and organizations are beginning to realize the clear benefits of an integrated data economy. Sonia explained that IDSA is observing a growing awareness of the value of Data Spaces, especially in promoting technological innovations and the interoperability of systems. According to her, this not only increases efficiency, but it also helps to reduce costs and to foster new digital business models
Another highlight of the panel was the unprecedented research by ABDI "Agro Data Space Agro 4 Program.0”, presented by Isabela Gaya, that explored the potential of Data Spaces in agribusiness, crucial sector for the Brazilian economy. The study indicated that the adoption of Data Spaces could lead to a 30% increase in operational efficiency in different areas of agriculture and reduce costs by up to 20%. Furthermore, the use of advanced technological solutions, how the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence, would enable the collection and analysis of large volumes of data, allowing for more informed and agile decisions in the field
The research also highlighted the positive impact on sustainability. For example, producers could reduce herbicide use by up to 70% and significantly decrease the use of other inputs through monitoring and automation technologies, what would result in a more sustainable and efficient production. The study also revealed that more than 1 million rural properties could directly benefit from this digital transformation, what reinforces the strategic role of Data Spaces in strengthening the competitiveness of the Brazilian agribusiness sector
Isabela Gaya, from ABDI, commented during the event on the impact of digitalization in the agricultural sector: “The adoption of innovative technologies integrated with Data Spaces can transform Brazilian agribusiness, improving productive efficiency and promoting a more sustainable management of resources. She emphasized that the sector is ready to embrace these innovations, especially with the support of public policies and targeted investments
Marcos Pinto, director of the Department of Competitiveness and Innovation of MDIC, brought the government's perspective on the importance of accelerating the development of Data Spaces in Brazil. He highlighted that the country has a massive data production, both people and companies, but only 25% of large corporations are using data analytics effectively. The government wants to stimulate the development of these Data Spaces to accelerate the data economy in Brazil. We are creating a specific program for this and studying sectors where this technology can be successfully applied, as we have seen in other countries, explained Marcos
He also mentioned that the government is in the process of coordination, talking to various sectors to identify areas where Data Spaces can be implemented. "Our message is one of collaborative building", and we hope to launch concrete measures to support this development by the end of the year. We have been studying initiatives from other countries, especially from the European Union, and we do not want to wait five years to take advantage of this wave of innovation. The advantage is to create market opportunities and develop competitive products, said Marcos. According to him, the government should promote a subsidy takeover for a regulatory legal framework soon
The director of MDIC emphasized that Brazil is committed to supporting the productive sector in the transition to a more digital and efficient economy. To achieve productivity gains, we will need digital companies that can develop these solutions. The government wants to stand side by side with the productive sector to ensure that this happens, he concluded
THE ABINC, in partnership with IDSA, has been working to bring this concept of Data Spaces to Brazil, seeking to boost the country's digital competitiveness. These initiatives are part of a larger effort for digital transformation, that aims to integrate sectors such as agriculture, health and mobility, in addition to fostering the creation of new business opportunities
Flavio Maeda, vice-president of ABINC, highlighted that this partnership with IDSA consists of bringing knowledge to the market about the potential of Data Spaces in Brazil, especially for agribusiness and industry. Maeda also explained that ABINC is working together with IDSA, the ABDI, the CNI and the MDIC to implement, in 2025, the Open Industry project, similar to what Open Finance was. We want to bring the same benefits of Open Finance to other industrial sectors. This project also aligns with the concept of Data Spaces, explained Maeda
Rodrigo Pastl Pontes, from CNI, also commented on the importance of a robust and interoperable infrastructure so that industrial companies can share data securely and with confidence, driving innovation and efficiency across various sectors
With the advancements discussed at Futurecom 2024, it is clear that the data economy will play a central role in the future of Brazil, and the concept of Data Spaces will be fundamental to consolidate this path, as Sonia Jimenez concluded: “The evolution of Data Spaces will allow Brazilian companies to reach a new level of innovation, with safety, transparency and, mainly, trust in data sharing
