The formation of the National Data Bureau is a timely event for activating the potential of data elements and playing a fundamental role in digital economy for the economy and society. It is important to build rules and regulations, crack the problem of digital divide, focus on the integration of digital economy and real economy, so that the dividends of digital reform benefit all people.

Recently, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council released plan on reforming Party and state institutions and the news on establishing National Data Bureau has attracted much attention. Managed by the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Data Bureau is responsible for coordinating and promoting the construction of data infrastructure system, coordinating the integration, sharing and development of data resources, and coordinating the promotion of digital China, digital economy, digital society planning and construction. This is essential for fully activating the potential of data elements and playing the fundamental role of digital economy to the economy and society.

As the 5th factor of production after labor, land, capital and technology, the data factor is undoubtedly the new face in the productivity family. In addition to inheriting the basic genes of traditional factors of production, it also has the unique characteristics of being collectible, reproducible, widely distributed and non-exclusive, and thus has a wide space. In our life, whether we browse the news online or shop online, every time we click the mouse, we leave a string of data traces. In this sense, the Internet has made big data. In fact, the scale of China’s big data industry were as high as 1.57 trillion Chinese yuan in 2022, becoming an important force to promote the development of digital economy. And according to the IDC statistical report, the global data volume will be as high as 175ZB in 2025. There is no wonder that big data has been praised as the colorful movement of the third wave by American futurist Alvin Toffler.

The data element has become the catalyst for the change of human economic and social development and people’s production and life style in the digital era. In the era of digital economy, the network has become a new fashion, the penetration rate of telecommuting has increased significantly, metaverse + museum has made more cultural relics come alive, the online collaboration between product development and innovation of enterprises has deepened, and the unmanned and intelligent transformation of manufacturing industry has accelerated. These new models and new forms has offset the negative impact of the previous epidemic, accelerating the restoration of manufacturing capacity and highlighting the real economy complementary role. Data show that the size of China’s digital economy exceeded 45 trillion Chinese yuan in 2021, accounting for 39.8% of GDP. Digital transformation and the development of digital economy will accelerate the construction of digital China and gradually play the role of power source.

Due to the relatively scattered responsibilities and weak coordination in the integration and sharing of data resources and development and utilization in China, data islands are prevalent to a certain extent, and the leakage of personal privacy and commercial secrets happens from time to time, which undoubtedly becomes a roadblock to give full play to the huge potential of data elements. The reasons for this are as follows. Firstly, digital awareness is relatively weak, and the potential value of data elements cannot be seen, resulting in a huge waste of data resources. Secondly, due to the confinement of interests, the process of data sharing and opening up is facing difficulty. Thirdly, the absence of a system increases the regulatory difficulty brought about by the market-oriented allocation and orderly flow of data resources.

The establishment of the National Data Bureau is undoubtedly a good start to solve the digital development problems.

The first is to build regulations and systems. Faced with the global challenge of digital reform and development, regardless of the solution, it is necessary to prioritize the construction of basic systems in areas such as data property rights, data element circulation and trading, data element income distribution, and data element governance. Only in this way, the data elements can flow, the national data resources cycle can turn up, and the potential vitality and value of data can be better overflow.

The second is to crack the problem of digital divide. Numbers are not cold symbolic expression, but a warm reform roadmap. In order to win more loyal fans through digital reform, it is necessary to take the urgent needs of enterprises and the masses as the starting point, so that data run more, the masses run less, the city runs smarter, government governs more scientific, social development is more harmonious. We also need to focus on high-frequency matters such as travel, medical care and recreation, and pay attention to solving the problems of the old, caring for the young and helping the masses, so that the dividends of digital reform can benefit all people.

The third is to emphasize the integration development of digital economy and real economy. Focus on the manufacturing industry as the main battlefield of national economy, we will accelerate the digital, networking, intelligent transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry, and promote the deep integration of digital economy and real economy, so that the data elements become a dynamic force for economic and social development and building a new national competitive advantage in the digital age.