The VET4DATACOOPERATION project has successfully completed its Needs Analysis Report, providing valuable insights into how European manufacturing organisations perceive data sharing, what prevents wider adoption and which competences are most needed to accelerate the transition towards trusted industrial data cooperation.
The study, conducted between 26 January and 15 March 2026, gathered the views of 97 European respondents primarily from Germany, Austria, Slovakia and North Macedonia. Participants represented manufacturing companies, research organisations, vocational education providers, industry associations and policy experts, offering a comprehensive picture of the current state of data sharing across the manufacturing ecosystem.
Strong strategic interest—but implementation still lags behind
The findings reveal that manufacturing organisations increasingly recognise the strategic importance of data sharing. Nearly 64% of respondents believe that management considers trusted data cooperation to be a key competitive advantage for the next three to five years.
However, this strategic ambition is not yet fully reflected in everyday business practice. While organisations understand the potential of collaborative data use, fewer than half currently share operational data with external partners. The results suggest that many companies are still looking for practical ways to transform their strategic vision into secure and effective data-sharing solutions.
Trust remains the biggest challenge
Interestingly, the survey shows that the main barriers are not primarily technological. Instead, organisations are mostly concerned about:
- protecting intellectual property and maintaining control over company data,
- the absence of a clear business case,
- uncertainty about legal and governance requirements,
- limited financial incentives for participating in data-sharing initiatives.
These findings demonstrate that successful data cooperation depends not only on technology but also on trust, governance and clear value creation.
Practical knowledge is in highest demand
Another important outcome of the analysis is the growing demand for practical, business-oriented training. Respondents expressed the greatest interest in learning about:
- data sovereignty and trusted data sharing,
- industrial use cases and real-life examples,
- legal frameworks and Data Usage Agreements,
- secure technical architectures and data connectors,
- business models, return on investment (ROI), and value creation,
- AI, predictive analytics, digital twins and future data spaces.
Across all topics, participants consistently highlighted the need for practical guidance that answers four essential questions:
- Is data sharing legally safe?
- Is it technically feasible?
- Does it create real business value?
- Is it manageable for my organisation?
From industry needs to practical training
The results of the Needs Analysis directly validate the training approach of the VET4DATACOOPERATION project.
Based on the identified priorities, the project partners are now developing five practical training modules covering:
- Foundations of Data Sharing in Manufacturing & Gaia-X
- Data Governance, Legal Frameworks and Data Usage Agreements
- Technical Architecture, Secure Data Exchange and Operational Readiness
- Business Models, ROI and Value Creation from Data Sharing
- Organisational Readiness, Scaling and Future Growth
These modules will equip manufacturing professionals, SMEs, vocational education providers and other stakeholders with the knowledge and skills needed to participate confidently in trusted data-sharing ecosystems.
Learn more
The Needs Analysis Report provides valuable evidence on the current maturity of data sharing in European manufacturing and identifies the skills required to unlock its full potential.
