Data literacy is often presented in abstract terms and is characterized by warnings. Data protection, trade secrets, liability risks and vague ideas about the “value” of data dominate the discourse. There seem to be few alternatives between withholding data completely and sharing it too freely. But what about the targeted, controlled sharing of data by means of new forms of data intermediaries – such as data trustees?
This is where ShareCast comes in: a podcast that addresses the complex and abstract topic of data sharing and data trusteeship for a broad public.
The podcast offering of 13 episodes includes voices from science and professional contexts as well as everyday perspectives on the topic. The focus is on exemplary projects and initiatives that test new ways of sharing data and open up new scope for action. The entire range of existing data sharing activities will be presented and illustrated using various data trust projects, data domains and actor constellations as examples.
ShareCast is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and the European Union.
Current episode
Episode 10 – A “Swiss approach”? Data sharing in the Swiss Confederation
Data sharing is no longer a marginal issue, but a central pillar for many forms of innovation. Switzerland is well aware of this and has been systematically pursuing the goal of profitable and trustworthy “multiple use of data” since 2024 with the establishment of a “data ecosystem.” In this episode, we are talking to a Swiss data expert to find out how this is being achieved, whether Switzerland’s approach is consistent with or diverges from European regulations, and present a use case from the agricultural sector. We also discuss whether Switzerland’s size offers a strategic advantage for the efficient development of infrastructure, or whether it makes scaling up in global competition more difficult.
In this episode, we discuss the Swiss data ecosystem and ask whether Switzerland’s approach to European regulations is consistent or divergent, and to what extent the country’s manageable size offers a strategic advantage for the efficient development of infrastructure. | listen now
We encounter data protection modules everywhere. Whether we accept or reject cookies when browsing, sign a consent form at the doctor’s office, or agree to the new terms and conditions when updating our smartphones – we are constantly dealing with data protection consents. On the one hand, data protection sets limits on the sharing of data. On the other hand, it can also be seen as a pull factor for data sharing. In our ninth episode of ShareCast, we take a closer look at the limits and potential of the GDPR. | listen now
Digital sovereignty is one of the key concepts in the debate on digital policy – and is often used to highlight the lack of sovereignty in the digital sphere. This lack did not arise suddenly, but in times of intensifying geopolitical conflicts, these dependencies now appear threatening. What are these dependencies and how do they affect data sharing? And what are the prospects for developing greater digital sovereignty? That’s what episode 8 of ShareCast is all about. | listen now
The seventh episode deals with an entire area of modern society: science. We explore the significance of sharing digital data for scientific work and discuss the opportunities and challenges currently being debated in this field. | listen now
Open source software is software under free licences that grants its users four freedoms: to run the software for any purpose, to examine how it works and thus also its source code, to adapt it to their own needs, and to redistribute the software, even in modified versions. This distinguishes it from software that the open source movement refers to as ‘proprietary’ or ‘closed source software,’ which does not offer these ‘fundamental freedoms.’ But how exactly is collaboration and sharing carried out here? What interests determine the open source world, and what conflicts exist? | listen now
The fifth episode of ShareCast focuses on the data generated in the forest and forestry and timber industries. How is this data created? What is it used for? Who has an interest in it? Why is this data not shared? What stands in the way of this? What potential could be realized if this were to succeed? And how could the obstacles to data sharing in forestry and the timber industry be removed? | listen now
Having your own car was once a great promise of freedom. Getting into the car and being able to drive wherever we wanted. And keep to yourself: With your partner or family. This image of the car is still there – and yet another one is slowly taking over. Cars are now highly networked, high-performance machines that are constantly filming, recording and measuring. The manufacturer is virtually at the wheel. | listen now
In the third episode of ShareCast, we talk about the interplay between data and urban development. We take a look at what is associated with the term smart city and discuss the potential and challenges that smart city concepts entail. | listen now
On the one hand, the sharing of data is intended to provide a major boost to innovation in medical research and help improve healthcare. On the other hand, health data is extremely sensitive data, i.e. data with a clear personal reference that can cause great harm in the wrong hands. This difficult balancing act is illustrated very clearly when it comes to so-called rare diseases. | listen now
We shed light on some of the things behind buzzwords such as sharing economy, data silo, platform economy and open science. And we examine the heterogeneous understandings that are associated with sharing: voluntarily giving away data for a specific purpose, sharing data with a counterpart, passing on data in a group or making data openly available to everyone – these are very different things. | listen now
Principal Investigators
Prof. Dr. Petra Gehring, Technische Universität Darmstadt | more information
Eneia Dragomir, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Marlin Mayer, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Konstantin Schönfelder, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Dr. Till Seidemann, Technische Universität Darmstadt
