According to the organizers, the first European Data Forum (EDF) celebrated on 6-7 June, got a great success. The event was a meeting place for industry, research, policymakers and community initiatives to discuss the challenges of Big Data and the emerging Data Economy and to develop suitable action plans for addressing these challenges. On this occassion, the EDF focused on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, since they are driving innovation and competition in many data-driven economic sectors.

The European Data Forum (EDF) that took place at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark was, according to the organizers, a brand-new forum for the European data economy, discussing issues along the data value chain, open data and big data for the first time ever. EDF is based on a cross-project cooperation of LATC (Linked Open Data Around-the-Clock), LOD2, IKS, and PlanetData. It is supported by the European Commission - that presented its Open Data Strategy for Europe in December 2011, and Danish Presidency of the Council. It is organized by STI International.

The focus of the EDF2012 was Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Topics discussed at the European Data Forum range from novel, data-driven business models (e.g. data clearing houses), to technological innovations (e.g. Linked Data Web) and societal aspects (e.g. open government data as well as data privacy and security).

The organizers highlighted that the impact of this emerging economic sector - the data economy - may soon outrange the current importance of the software industry. They added that industry can help to increase the efficiency of processes working with these data, it can provide transparency, support well-informed decision making, and enable new services not possible today. For them, research, engineering, policy making for the Data Economy and the exploitation of the unprecedented wealth of data have become keys to the Future of Europe.