According to a study by the European Commission, only 20 percent of industry data is used and exploited. The European Union‘s Data Act aims to improve the use and sharing of data to strengthen Europe‘s data economy. The regulation, which came into force in 2024 and will be directly applicable across the EU from September 2025, includes provisions on data access; data sharing between businesses, between businesses and consumers, and between businesses and public authorities. For Raoul Wintjes, Head of International Road Haulage & Digitalisation at DSLV Federal Assoc. for Freight Forwarding and Logistics Germany, which is a member of the Open Logistics Foundation, the Data Act is both a challenge and an opportunity for companies, but in any case a „strategic turning point“: „On the one hand, companies must ensure that their trade secrets are protected, and on the other, they must explore the opportunities that lie in cross-modal optimisation in particular.“
Strategy is needed
With this in mind, lawyer RA Dr. David Saive, LL.M., Legal Product Owner for the Open Logistics Foundation, recommends that companies quickly develop a strategy for compliance with the new data sharing regulations. This should include five key points: identifying affected devices and relevant data and obligations; establishing data access and sharing policies; implementing cybersecurity measures; reviewing existing data-sharing agreements; and exploring open source data management solutions. „A structured approach helps companies avoid legal risks and competitive disadvantages,“ says the logistics law expert. For David Saive, the opportunities for logistics are clear: „The law aims to (also) facilitate data exchange in the supply chain, improve operational efficiency and promote innovation – and this is where the opportunities for companies lie. The mandatory access to data will enable logistics service providers to optimise processes, drive innovation and increase their competitiveness – or, to be more precise, to optimise multimodal transport, improve stock forecasting and speed up their own processes overall.
Standards help everyone
The Open Logistics Foundation can also play an important role in implementing the Data Act. On the one hand, standards are necessary for the success of the regulation, and on the other hand, data exchange is a classic commodity – a service that does not allow companies to increase their turnover or add value to their customers. The Foundation can, therefore, support the industry by developing cross-industry data sharing agreements, aligning with EU interoperability standards and providing open source solutions for compliant data exchange. „Companies that are interested in such open source projects and can imagine developing them together with other companies can always contact us,“ says Andreas Nettsträter, CEO of the Open Logistics Foundation. „If companies work together to create a trusted ecosystem, it will help everyone navigate the new regulatory landscape and unlock the full potential of data-driven logistics – the Open Logistics Foundation was created for projects like this.“
This interview was published in the fifth edition of the Open Logistics Magazine. You can read the full magazine and register for future editions here.
