Europe launches open web index to boost digital sovereignty and innovation
The Open Web Index (OWI), a groundbreaking European initiative, was launched on Friday, June 6th. It offers a transparent, open-source alternative to proprietary web indices dominated by non-European tech giants.
A web index is the backbone of search engines, web analytics and text-based AI systems, organizing vast amounts of online content into a structured, searchable format. OWI, developed by a consortium of 14 European research institutions under the Horizon Europe project OpenWebSearch.eu, aims to provide open and unbiased access to web data. The target is to sustain and scale the OWI as a public European infrastructure. Finland is represented in the project by CSC – IT center for science.
OWI strengthens Europe’s digital sovereignty at a time when 90% of web searches in the region are routed through U.S.-based platforms like Google. This dependency not only raises concerns about data privacy and exploitation but also poses a strategic risk of being cut off from essential digital infrastructure. OWI offers a sovereign alternative that aligns with European values and legislation, including the AI Act and GDPR.
“The European Open Web Index not only guarantees digital sovereignty but also offers huge opportunities for researchers. We are confident in the ability of researchers to innovate many useful applications for the index. At CSC, we are particularly excited that this data will be available to users of the EuroHPC LUMI supercomputer,” said Per Öster, Director of Advanced Computing Facility at CSC.
OWI is hosted on the LEXIS Platform and accessible through the EUDAT B2ACCESS service. This data is a valuable resource for researchers, developers, and public institutions, enabling the creation of new search engines, AI models, analytics tools and web-based services.
€4.5 billion in cumulative net benefits
The economic potential of OWI is also significant. According to a market study by Munich-based consultancy Mücke Roth & Company, the index could generate up to €4.5 billion in cumulative net benefits within its first four years. By the end of the decade, every euro invested in OWI could yield up to €5.50 in economic and societal returns, making it a cornerstone of Europe’s sustainable and independent digital infrastructure.
OWI is already being used in real-world applications:
- The TILDE project trains AI and LLM to deliver accurate medical information.
- Developers working on open map search are using OWI to enrich map data and offer an alternative to services like Google Maps.
- Public institutions such as Eurostat and national statistics offices are also exploring its potential.
Managed by the University of Passau, OWI represents a major step toward a more open, secure, and innovative internet ecosystem in Europe.
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OpenWebSearch.eu
OpenWebSearch.EU is the first project funded by the European Union that aims to enable independent web search and thus free, unbiased and transparent access to information.
14 renowned European research organizations, including CSC – IT Center for Science, started the collaboration in September 2022. Over a period of three years, the researchers develop the core of a European Open Web Index. Under grant agreement no. 101070014, the project is being funded with 8.5 million Euro from the European Union’s Horizon research and innovation programme under the NGI – Next Generation Internet initiative.
Per Öster
Per Öster leads CSC Advanced Computing Facility which operates and develops the Finnish national computing infrastructure and hosts the EuroHPC pre-exascale system LUMI.