March academy recap: open data for territories and trustworthy
research
In March, the data.europa academy [https://data.europa.eu/en/academy]
hosted two webinars that approached open data from different
perspectives yet shared a common focus on societal impact. One session
was organised in the context of Open Data Day 2026
[https://opendataday.org/] and examined open data as a public good for
territorial development. The other marked the start of a new webinar
series on open data, academia, and ethics. Together, these webinars
offered participants a broad view of how open data informs policy,
research, and public trust. Here is a recap of how the sessions
unfolded. 

The first webinar, ‘Open data as a public good: evidence‑based
development across territories
[https://data.europa.eu/en/news-events/events/webinar-open-data-public-good-evidence-based-development-across-territories]’,
took place on Friday, 13 March, from 10:00 to 11:30
CET. This session focused on how open data can support governance
decisions related to accessibility and service provision, particularly
in rural areas. Solana Larsen from the Open Knowledge Foundation
[https://okfn.org/en/] opened the webinar by discussing open data as a
global public good and its role in promoting transparency and
innovation. This was followed by two practical perspectives: Johanna
Walker, from King's College London
[https://www.london.edu/executive-education/strategy/mergers-and-acquisitions?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=MC_EEMA_ppc_bing&utm_content=ppc&gclid=4a1b200dc41412bccdab49bcb9c0c808&gclsrc=3p.ds&&ppc_keyword=mergers%20and%20acquisitions%20programme&msclkid=4a1b200dc41412bccdab49bcb9c0c808&utm_term=mergers%20and%20acquisitions%20programme],
explored how data practices often prioritise urban areas, while
Patrick Collins presented Ireland’s Pobal tool,
[https://www.pobal.ie/pobal-hp-deprivation-index/] showing how open
data can be used to identify socio‑economic challenges and guide
policy decisions. 

The second webinar, ‘Open data, academia, and ethics: fostering
trust through data‑based reasoning
[https://data.europa.eu/en/news-events/events/webinar-open-data-academia-and-ethics-fostering-trust-through-data-based]’,
was held on Friday, 27 March, from 10:00 to 11:00 CET. As the first
episode of a three‑part series, the session turned attention to
academic research and ethical responsibility. Dr.Elfia Bezou
Vrakatseli and Dr. Ameer Saadat‑Yazdi from Inria
[https://www.inria.fr/en] examined how data‑based arguments are
formed, where reasoning can become misleading, and why openness alone
does not automatically result in reliable or ethical outcomes,
especially in AI‑supported research. 

Would you like to stay informed about upcoming Academy webinars and
new learning opportunities? Visit the European Data Portal
[https://data.europa.eu/en] to discover future events, access
recordings, and keep up to date with activities across the European
open data community! 

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Publication Date/Time
2026-04-03T08:00:00+00:00
Two sessions exploring how open data supports public decision‑making
and responsible research