Data flow and economic value EU framework : modelling update and data collection : executive summary

This study aims to deliver one of the key actions of the EU Data Strategy: the creation of a framework to measure data flows and estimate their economic value within Europe, as well as between Europe and the rest of the world. The study focuses on data flows triggered by enterprises that use cloud services in the EU, EFTA and the UK (enterprise cloud-based data flows - ECBDFs). It provides an update of existing methodologies to estimate both the volume and destination of ECBDFs. A novel analytical framework to estimate the economic value of ECBDFs based on microeconomic principles is also developed. The study estimates that, in 2024, the EU will generate around 46,000 petabytes (PB) of ECBDFs. This volume will increase to around 5,560,000 PB by 2035. Of the 46,000 PB generated in 2024, 36,600 PB are expected to flow to cloud and edge facilities within the EU, 1,950 to EFTA and the UK, and 7,345 PB to other regions (Africa, America, Middle East and Asia). The estimated economic value of ECBDFs in the EU in 2024 is €77bn, estimated to increase to €328bn by 2035.