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Understanding the Data Economy: Data Sharing, Monetisation and Data Spaces
This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.
Navigate the data economy through sharing, monetisation and data spaces
Data drives growth and innovation, but many organisations struggle to share it effectively or turn it into revenue.
Explore real business models, learn from European research and cross-sector case studies, and discover how to unlock your organisation’s data potential through sharing, monetisation, and participation in data ecosystems.
Understand data economy foundations and monetisation models
Discover how data functions as a strategic business asset and explore key business models like data-as-a-product. You’ll learn how organisations create value from data and develop new revenue streams.
Through practical examples, you’ll see how to apply these concepts to unlock your own organisation’s data potential and identify opportunities for growth.
Explore data sharing ecosystems and collaboration
Learn how organisations share data through trusted ecosystems. You’ll explore governance frameworks, network effects, and the technologies that enable secure sharing.
Understand the dynamics between public and private sectors, examine the infrastructure that supports collaboration, and see how data ecosystems spark innovation across organisational boundaries. Analyse real-world applications across sectors
You’ll analyse practical challenges, successes, and opportunities in each sector.
These real-world insights help you identify what’s possible and translate learnings to your own field and context.
Navigate data spaces, markets and emerging trends
Examine data spaces, marketplaces, and how SMEs participate in the data economy. You’ll review European frameworks, governance tools, and future directions shaping the landscape.
By the end of this course, you’ll understand how to strategise your organisation’s participation in this evolving environment and stay ahead of emerging trends.
Syllabus
Week 1
The foundations of the data economy
Welcome to the Course
Welcome to the course, explore its structure and key topics, meet the team, and introduce yourself to connect with other learners and share your background and expectations.
Welcome to the Week
We'll introduce data monetisation as the process of creating value from data and explain its role in shaping business models, and clarify that monetisation goes beyond selling data, including improving services
Applying Data Monetisation: Business Models and Sector Insights
Explore how organisations unlock value from data and develop new business models. Review key Week 1 concepts and discuss how data can create value in your sector, comparing perspectives with other learners.
Week 1 Summary
Test your understanding of Week 1 concepts through a quiz, then reflect on key takeaways. Explore how data value depends on sharing and ecosystems, and prepare for Week 2 with a brief learning check and wrap-up.
Week 2
Generating shared value through data sharing
Welcome to the Week
An introduction to Week 2, where we'll explain the shift from internal value creation to shared value creation.
Foundations of Data Sharing and Innovation
This activity introduces the fundamentals of data sharing and its role in innovation. You will clarify key concepts, distinguish related terms, and explore how data ecosystems enable value creation through collaboration.
Scaling Data Sharing: Technologies, Value, and Risk
This activity explores how data sharing scales through network effects, technologies, and new data sources. You will compare contexts and assess the benefits and risks of sharing organisational data
Week 2 Summary
This activity recaps key concepts from Week 2, including data sharing, ecosystems, and technologies. You will test your understanding and prepare to explore real-world applications in different sectors next week.
Week 3
How data sharing and data ecosystems operate across different industries
Welcome to the Week
Explore how data sharing works across industries. This week compares mobility, public sector, and aviation examples to understand how ecosystems, value creation, and innovation differ across sectors.
Connected Mobility: Data, Ecosystems, and Service Innovation
Explore how connected vehicle data enables new services and innovation. Understand mobility ecosystems, data sharing, and design a simple data-driven service concept.
From Public Services to Aviation: Comparing Data Ecosystems
Examine how data sharing drives innovation in public services and aviation. Compare ecosystems and identify how sector-specific data creates value and new opportunities.
Energy Data Sharing and Revenue Generation
Explore how energy data is shared and monetised across the value chain. Analyse key actors, challenges, and opportunities, and learn how data can be transformed into valuable assets in the energy ecosystem.
Week 3 Summary
Test your understanding of cross-sector data sharing through a quiz, then reflect on key insights. Review how ecosystems enable value creation and prepare to explore governance, trust, and strategy in Week 4.
Week 4
The future of the data economy
Welcome to the Week
Welcome to this week’s learning journey, where you will explore data spaces, data monetisation, and the future of the data economy through practical examples and real-world applications.
Data Spaces Foundations
Explore the foundations of data spaces in manufacturing, including interoperability, trust, enabling technologies, sustainability, and Digital Product Passports.
Monetisation in Data Spaces & Data Markets
Learn how organisations create value from data through monetisation models, data trading environments, and participation in the emerging data economy.
Data Markets & Future of Data Economy
Explore current trends in data sharing, the main challenges organisations face, and strategies to overcome barriers and create value through the data economy.
SMEs and the Data Sharing Landscape
Explore the role of SMEs in the data economy, current data sharing trends, key challenges, and strategies to overcome barriers and create value through data sharing.
Week 4 Summary
Test your understanding of data spaces, monetisation, and data markets through a final quiz and reflection. Review how governance, trust, and collaboration support the future of the data economy.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Apply core principles of data monetisation and data sharing to identify opportunities for data-driven innovation within their own organisational or sector context.
- Explain the key concepts of the data economy, including data monetisation, data sharing, and data ecosystems.
- Analyse how organisations create value from data through different business models, including data as a product and data-driven services.
- Explore how data sharing ecosystems and data spaces enable innovation across sectors such as mobility, aviation, energy, manufacturing, and the public sector.
- Compare different approaches to data monetisation and data sharing across organisational and sector contexts
- Discuss how organisations can participate in data ecosystems and data markets
Who is the course for?
This course is ideal for technology strategists, SME leaders, policymakers, researchers, and students exploring data-driven business models, data governance, and the European data economy landscape.
What software or tools do you need?
No specific software or technical tools are required. Learners only need a device with internet access (computer, tablet, or smartphone) to access course materials and videos.
Who will you learn with?
Luigi Mosca is a Research Associate at Imperial Business School London. His work focuses on data-driven innovation, business models, and how organisations create value through data and ecosystems.
Sotiris is working on novel technologies with a special interest on AI and data-driven innovations. He is an expert in ICTs with special skills in areas like AI/ML and Data Analytics & Data Sharing.
Alexander Stocker is a key researcher at Virtual Vehicle Research, Austria. His work centers on information systems and the development of data-driven services in the automotive domain.
Who developed the course?
Imperial Business School
Imperial Business School, part of Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, addresses real-world challenges across business, technology, healthcare, sustainability, and innovation. This work was developed within the PISTIS project by Imperial Business School and other project partners, with funding from the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101093016 and from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the Horizon Europe Guarantee scheme (UKRI Reference Number: 10058087).
What's included?
Imperial Business School are offering everyone who joins this course a free digital upgrade, so that you can experience the full benefits of studying online for free. This means that you get:
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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