CINI has recently joined the Big Data Value Association (Big Data Value AISBL), promoted by the European Platform NESSIE (Networked European Software and Services Initiative).

The Big Data Value AISBL includes all founding members of NESSI, such as CINI, an well as non-NESSI partners, such as Fraunhofer or DFKI (two German research institutions).

The objectives of the Association are to boost European BIG DATA VALUE research, development and innovation and to foster a positive perception of BIG DATA VALUE.

Following the recent recommendation of the EU Commission (see "Towards a thriving data-driven economy”), the association aims at: strengthening competitiveness and ensuring industrial leadership of providers and end users of BIG DATA VALUE technology-based systems and services; promoting the widest and best uptake of BIG DATA VALUE technologies and services for professional and private use; establishing the excellence of the science base of creation of value from BIG DATA.

The Association shall carry out acts, take steps and commit to all activities that are deemed appropriate or useful in view of achieving its Objectives. This is to include: collaborating with the European COMMISSION (including to establish a Public-Private Partnership, and to develop and implement a strategic roadmap for research, technological development and innovation in the BIG DATA VALUE and other ICT domains); developing strategic goals of European BIG DATA VALUE research and innovation and supporting their implementation; improving industrial competitiveness of Europe through innovative BIG DATA VALUE technologies, applications, services, solution strengthening networking activities of the European BIG DATA VALUE community; promoting European BIG DATA VALUE offerings and organisation; reaching out to existing and new users, contributing to policy development, education and technology raminfication in the widest possible sense and addressing ethical, legal and societal issues.

On October 13th, 2014, Neelie Kroe, the European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, and Jan Sundelin, President of the Big Data Value Association, have signed a contractual Public Private Partnership (cPPP) with a joint public and private investment of  € 1 068 million in collaborative research and innovation within the Horizon 2020 research programme. Half of the investment is based on public funds that will be made available in H2020 for five years (21016-2020).

Industry members together with research organisations cover the Big Data Value chain from data generation and acquisition, through data processing, analysis, and curation, to usage and service provisioning.

The CINI Contact Point is prof. Paolo Bellavista.