The 2025 EU Open Data Days were an absolute success—perfectly organized and a brilliant combination of all the flavors of the community: regulation, data governance and quality, open science, advocacy, smart cities, data visualization, and so much more.
This year felt especially relevant. Two key messages emerged during the conference: first, that geopolitical uncertainty poses new challenges to the Open movement; and second, that the rise of AI raises critical questions about the licensing of Open Data.
At Tangible Data, we wanted to honor the value of Open Data, so we created a sculpture for the event—a tribute to EU Open Data and to all those working to keep it open, accessible, and trustworthy.
The piece represents the number of datasets published through data.europa.eu since 2019, growing from 800,000 to over 1.8 million. It stands as a tangible symbol of transparency, knowledge, and collaboration, shaping a future built on shared information.
We believe Open Data is not just a tool—it is a commitment. A commitment to trust, innovation, and collective progress.
That’s why we want to acknowledge the European Union’s leadership in making information accessible—empowering citizens, researchers, and policymakers to build a more informed, engaged, and connected society.
In moments of uncertainty, Europe stands as a beacon of hope and confidence, with a commitment we believe will only continue to grow.
And echoing Steffan Verhulst, we hope the shape of this sculpture continues to evolve—because that would mean Open Data is still alive, and we’ve managed to avoid a long, cold “Open Data winter.”
