The economic value of a European Open Web Index could amount to billions

👋 Dear NGI-er

Did you know that as Europe strives for digital sovereignty and access to open data, innovation and economic growth increasingly depend on these factors?

The OpenWebSearch project, a collaboration of 14 IT, research, and education partners, aims to create a European Open Web Index (OWI) to support independent web search in Europe. This new index will promote transparency, reduce commercial bias, and lay the groundwork for Europe’s digital independence, which could fuel significant economic growth across various sectors.

The consulting firm Mücke Roth & Company conducted a study on the OWI's market potential. Their findings highlight the economic and social benefits that could arise from breaking free of reliance on non-European tech giants.

✨The study shows that the open search infrastructure is expected to pay for itself by the fourth year, with a projected economic impact of €4 to €5 billion in the first decade.✨

The study also analysed the non-commercial benefits across six key areas and classified them as highly positive.

The study results will be presented publicly in Munich on September 30th, 2024, hosted by the Open Search Foundation and supported by the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt.

Keen on learning more?

OpenWebSearch.EU, funded by the EU under Horizon research (grant agreement No 101070014), began in September 2022 and is working to create a European Open Web Index. This initiative will be a foundation for a new web search infrastructure that aligns with European values, principles, and legislation.

👉 Learn more about this initiative by clicking here