The study examines why data sharing between companies has not yet reached its full potential, even though empirical findings show that data sharing in a B2B context can lead to additional revenue, efficiency gains and innovation opportunities. Currently, around 80 per cent of industrial data remains unused. The main obstacles are legal uncertainties, insufficient data quality and a lack of access to third-party data.
The focus is on companies with a moderate willingness to share data. These companies are generally open to data exchange, but hesitate due to uncertainties regarding data value, pricing and the fairness of exchange relationships. The study is based on a theory-driven, literature-based approach and guided expert interviews. The aim is to identify economic incentive mechanisms that reduce information asymmetries, increase transparency and enable fair value distribution in data exchange.
In addition, the Data Act and the Data Governance Act are analysed in terms of their suitability for promoting sustainable data sharing structures. Both pieces of legislation are complementary: as a regulatory last resort, the Data Act establishes binding minimum standards, for example through transparency requirements, standardised access rights and fair contractual terms. The Data Governance Act strengthens constellations with a medium willingness to share data in particular through certified intermediaries, neutrality requirements and institutional trust mechanisms. The study highlights existing deficits in data valuation, dynamic pricing and value distribution models and emphasises that a functioning European data market can only be created through the interaction of regulation and economically sound incentive systems.
