On February 26, the opening day of the 2024 Mobile World Congress (MWC 2024), the Global Data Spaces Roundtable was held in Barcelona, Spain. The forum brought together global leaders, experts, and scholars in the data field to discuss cross-border data sharing and the innovative practices and development potential of data spaces. Liu Dong, Vice Chairman of the Strategic Advisory Committee of the International Data Spaces Association (IDSA) and Director of the Next Generation Internet National Engineering Center, attended the forum and delivered a keynote speech titled "Data Spaces Facilitate Data Flow and Unleash AI Potential."

Figure: Liu Dong Delivers a Keynote Speech at the Global Data Spaces Roundtable of MWC 2024

Data Spaces Have Gained Global Consensus

Liu Dong emphasized that data spaces are a critical technical pathway for promoting data circulation and sharing. Through practices in multiple countries and regions, they have achieved global consensus. In Europe, shared data spaces have established a solid foundation, while Japan has further advanced their implementation. In China, significant progress has been made in technological implementation, standardization, and ecosystem development, marked by the establishment of the IDSA China Competence Center, the launch of the "Data Space Development Initiative," the publication of China’s first authoritative book on data spaces—Data Spaces: Theory, Architecture, and Practice—and the emergence of application scenarios such as scientific research and innovation data spaces.

While data spaces have made a strong start, further contributions and practices are needed. Liu Dong called on global data industry leaders and practitioners to jointly advance data space development by fostering interconnectivity, encouraging innovation, accelerating application, and building ecosystem consensus. He urged collaboration to promote international standards, open-source communities, and certification frameworks for data spaces, as well as integration and innovation with technologies like IPv6 to generate more products, solutions, and practical cases.

Data as the Key to Accelerating the AI Era

In his speech, Liu Dong noted that humanity has greatly benefited from the internet era. As the AI era approaches, data will become pivotal to future development. Over recent decades, vast amounts of data have been accumulated and continue to grow rapidly, forming the cornerstone of the AI era. China accounts for a quarter of global data volume, with the internet and data being as essential as air and water to its society and economy. The AI era demands new approaches to data usage, requiring large-scale, high-quality, and secure data support for collection, organization, analysis, and application to maximize AI’s potential. Data spaces address challenges in data sharing reluctance, capability gaps, and security concerns, driving industrial upgrades, establishing new business models, and accelerating the full arrival of the AI era.

The Mobile World Congress 2024 serves as a vital platform for global communications and tech enterprises to showcase cutting-edge products and technologies. The Global Data Spaces Roundtable in Barcelona provided leaders and practitioners with opportunities to discuss frontier data technologies and strengthen international cooperation. Through global collaboration, it will accelerate the creation of a brighter digital future.