EU DataViz 2019 – let’s democratise data!

Black holes, histograms, ethics and storytelling…what do they all have in common? They were all part of mind-blowing presentations that took place in the EU DataViz: the first conference in Europe on data visualisation for the public sector. The goal? ‘Serving citizens through better data visualisation’.

EU DataViz 2019, took place at the European Convention Center in Luxembourg on 12 November. Organised by the Publications Office of the European Union and supported by the ISA² programme of the European Commission, the event brought together more than 500 international experts, professionals and solution-seekers and addressed for the first time in Europe the specific needs of the public sector data visualisation community. Several DGs and services of the European Commission have been actively involved with presentations, keynote speeches and moderation of thematic sessions. Proving that data visualisation is a hot topic, EU Dataviz 2019 was sold-out quickly but if you missed it, do not worry: all presentations and recordings of the main sessions are published below on the conference website.

Why is data visualisation a ‘hot’ topic?

Half of the human brain is dedicated to processing things visually. Therefore, visualising information helps people to perceive and make sense of concepts and relationships in a complex modern world today. As a result, effective visualisations can contribute to a significantly better understanding of data as well as policies. They can achieve a considerably higher impact on policy-makers and citizens and contribute to considerably higher political support. During the event, high-level international experts referred to data visualisation as “a great way to democratise data” and “a game changer”. It is especially relevant to the public sector producing and publishing for reuse huge amounts of data, as the Director-General of the Publications Office Rudolf Strohmeier said in his speech. He continued: “however, data visualisation sounds like an output, like data in a visual form, when in fact the most defining aspects are actually its process and mind-set”. In a few words, visualisation is a communication method that can help your messages be more understandable, credible, memorable, and convincing in a world flooded with information. And as data artist Kirell Benzi added in his speech “combine facts with emotion, and people will better retain the information”.

The EU DataViz experience

In a nutshell the conference addressed exactly this need: to understand how to translate complex issues and knowledge into digestible and relevant language that resonates with EU citizens and policy makers. Additionally, it helps to explore and analyse data to develop better policies.

Participants had the chance to hear from CERN scientists how they visualise the cosmos, from the tiniest scales to the massive black holes. They had the chance to watch international experts from the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Harvard University and others sharing their best practices in topics ranging from data exploration and new ways to present reports to emerging technologies in the field. They also had the chance to watch an award-winning expert talking about ethics presenting funny examples of using visuals to misrepresent facts intentionally during political campaigns. The need for ethics was particularly highlighted since data visualisation is susceptible to misinterpretation and manipulation like any communication method.

Besides a learning experience, the event was a great networking opportunity, as Athanassios Stavrakoudis, EU DataViz participant and professor at the University of Ioannina (Greece) confirms: “What I particularly enjoyed was the networking opportunities this event offered. The event app that allowed us to book appointments with other participants was great”.

His colleague, Kyriaki Tsilika, assistant professor at the Department of Economics in the University of Thessaly further describes what she gained from her participation in the EU DataViz: “I teach and apply data visualisation techniques in my courses in the University. However, it is not easy to benchmark and keep track of the progress of the fragmented international community when you are confined in your national boundaries, even if you are in a Member State that is a bigger player than Greece. It is at the EU level that you can keep good track of it. This is why such an event was really missing, until now. And I need to add that I particularly enjoyed the diversity of speakers in this event that included not only the public sector and the academia but also, importantly, the private sector”.

The event closed with the president and co-founder of The Lisbon Council, Paul Hofheinz, reminding all that data visualisation used in a responsible way is a powerful tool to help address social challenges of today and inviting participants to share their data with the world. The world can take advantage of it in ways we cannot imagine in advance since collective intelligence is far more powerful than intelligence of one person or a group of people.

“In the end it’s not about sharing data, it’s about sharing knowledge. Go forth and multiply” he concluded in front of an applauding crowd.