Who is controlling our data? Towards data sovereignty through federated learning ecosystems
Who is controlling our data? Towards data sovereignty through federated learning ecosystems
Navn på bevillingshaver
Reza Toorajipour
Titel
PhD student
Institution
University of St. Gallen
Beløb
DKK 2,560,267
År
2026
Bevillingstype
Internationalisation Fellowships
Hvad?
Data sovereignty has become critical, and the question of "who controls our data" a pressing concern. At stake is Europe’s digital future. This project studies how federated learning can help build commercially viable data ecosystems, since sovereignty cannot be achieved through legal mandates or technology alone, but depends on sustainable collaboration among the actors involved.
Hvorfor?
Europe’s economy increasingly depends on data infrastructures controlled by a few global technology firms. And the swift prevalence of AI has made this more critical. This concentration limits strategic autonomy and raises concerns about data sovereignty and control over data. This necessitates research on how Europe can retain control over data, support innovation, and remain economically viable.
Hvordan?
The project combines interviews with federated learning experts, document analysis, systematic literature review, and comparative case studies of major European data initiatives, including Catena-X, Gaia-X, and SIMPL. It examines the sociotechnical conditions under which federated learning can support commercially viable data ecosystems that strengthen data sovereignty and control over data.