Unlocking innovation: how the Data Act levels the playing field for SMEs

You may know a small company or start-up from your local area that is heavily investing in software. What if we told you that, under today’s rules, they can’t fully optimise their business because of unfair competition with Big Tech?

Across Europe, SMEs and Small Mid-Caps face this challenge. Data and cloud ecosystems are often locked down, leaving smaller companies dependent on dominant players.

The Data Act can change that. It gives SMEs the ability to:

• Port industrial and user-generated data to third parties
• Protect against unfair contractual terms
• Ensure fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory data sharing
• Avoid vendor lock-in through open standards

This is a real opportunity to level the playing field, foster competition, and enable innovation across sectors.

Yet, Big Tech lobbying threatens to weaken these provisions, pushing for delayed enforcement, looser interoperability rules, and vague global standards. For the Data Act to deliver its promise, it must be implemented fully and faithfully – with practical support for smaller firms, clear guidance, and model contracts to reduce legal hurdles.

Europe can end vendor lock-in, open data markets, and give smaller innovators the data freedom they deserve.

For further information, you can read our full joint statement here: implementthedataact.eu