Data-driven economies in the western Balkans

Building of European data economy is an integral part of Digital Single Market strategy in the European Union. Digital data is recognised as an essential resource for economic growth, competitiveness, innovation, job creation and societal progress in general. Estimation on possible data economy benefits on European Union scale are well known. At the same time, there is no quantifiable evidence on the state and perspectives of the data driven economy in Western Balkans. In this paper, we provide an overview and elaborate on the emerging opportunities for the establishment of data-driven innovation and data economies in Western Balkans, where National Spatial Data Infrastructures implementation and Open data initiatives could be seen as main drivers. In February 2018, European Commission also adopted strategy for Western Balkans, thus, confirming the European future of the region.