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Summary

Thank you to all 150+ delegates who attended The 2013 European Big Data Conference that took place on 1st October at The Stanhope Hotel in Brussels.

The event brought together key policymakers and stakeholders for an interactive discussion on the steps that need to be taken as we move towards a data-driven economy for Europe, and ultimately look to ensure that Europe is at the forefront of the global 'data revolution'.

Speakers include

Neelie Kroes

Vice President and EU Commmisioner for Digital Agenda

European Commission (video presentation)

Ivailo Kalfin MEP

European Parliament

Thibaut Kleiner

Advisor to Vice-President Kroes

European Commission

Richard Szostak

Member of Cabinet of Vice-President Reding

European Commission

Marta Nagy-Rothengass

Head of Unit,

DG CONNECT, European Commission

Christian Morales

Vice President and General Manager for EMEA

Intel

John Boswell

Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary

SAS

Wieland Holfelder

Engineering Director

Google

Orlando Agrippa

Director of Business Informatics

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust

Paul Suijkerbuijk

Chief Data Officer, ‘data.overheid.nl’

Dutch Ministry of the Interior

Event Photos

To see a selection of the photos taken during the conference please click here or click on the Event Photos tab above.

Vice-President Kroes Video Address

More Information

Much has been written recently on big data and the opportunities that it provides, with commentators describing it as (amongst other things) the "new oil", a "tidal wave of opportunity" and "the rocket fuel of the future".

However the potential does not simply lie with the quantity of information that is being created, but more so with how it is dealt with. No matter how much data you are able to generate, it is simply a lot of data unless you are able to analyse and process it and ultimately use it to make better decisions.

In order to allow Europe to fully harness the power of big data, it is therefore essential that a framework is put in place that not only encourages the use, free-flow and analysis of data, but also builds trust and provides the incentives to train the skilled personnel and deliver the knowledge base needed to mine it. 

This event served as a focal meeting point for senior policymakers and other leading authorities on Big Data, providing an opportunity for a lively and interactive discussion on how data-driven innovation can be achieved within Europe, and the benefits that this will bring to European businesses, the public sector and ultimately for wider society.

Sessions at the event focused on:

- The ‘big ticket’ - Developing the European data eco-system

- Maximising the potential - The benefits of data analysis

- The bigger picture – Revolutionising the public sector

- Unleashing power of data-driven innovation for growth - Achieving an appropriate regulatory environment