Newsletter - January 2026

Curious to learn about the next wave of urban innovation? Join our upcoming webinar on 23 January (10.00–11.00 CET) to explore how the municipality of Bologna is using digital twin technology to support smarter urban planning and public services. Hear first-hand insights into how the project was developed, what has been implemented so far, and how digital twins are helping shape Bologna’s approach to becoming one of the smartest cities in Italy.

The 2025 Open Data Maturity report is out and, this year, it is an interactive website offering richer ways to explore insights. Which countries are setting the pace, and which ones are quickly catching up? How mature is Europe’s open data ecosystem in general and where is it heading? The report assesses progress across 36 countries, tracking developments in policy, portals, data quality and impact. It highlights best practices, major improvements and remaining challenges, including the implementation of high-value datasets.

How affordable is housing in the EU today? Our latest data story uses open data to explore trends in housing costs, ownership and energy efficiency. It examines where housing pressures are most acute, how renting and ownership patterns are changing, and where energy renovations can fail to reach those who need them most.

How do countries approach open data and what can they learn from one another? This new report introduces descriptive country profiles and macro clusters that highlight the strategies underpinning open data performance. By grouping countries with similar governance, funding and technical frameworks, the report helps identify peers, support knowledge-sharing and address maturity gaps. Discover how these insights can inform future assessments and strengthen collaboration across Europe.

See how high-value EU datasets come to life through interactive storytelling. Our latest feature brings together five engaging stories on flood risks, time use inequality, housing and migration, Europe’s geography of risk, and noise pollution. Each story is accompanied by a visualisation note that explains how raw data is transformed into clear, meaningful insights. This collection showcases the power of open data to inform public debate and support better decision across Europe.

How is interoperability shaping seamless digital public services across Europe? This news piece highlights the European Interoperability Reference Architecture (EIRA), a blueprint of reusable building blocks aligned with the European Interoperability Framework. The newly released EIRA v6.1.0 introduces improved views, updated documentation and enhanced alignment with current standards. By standardising components and semantic models, EIRA helps public administrations publish discoverable, reusable open data and deliver seamless cross-border services. Explore the full update and access EIRA resources via the Interoperable Europe Portal.

As we begin 2026, we at the European Data Portal extend our warmest wishes to all data providers and members of the open data community. In 2025, we launched a user‑friendly homepage, introduced interactive insights for Open Data Maturity, and completed our high‑value dataset story series. Our academy delivered new webinars and training, and we met the community at the EU Open Data Days and a dedicated knowledge exchange workshop. Thank you for your continued engagement! This year, look forward to exciting new content, functionalities and initiatives as we work together to strengthen Europe’s open data ecosystem!