40. The global race to standardise how data is valued
Nations and international bodies are locked in a race to create agreed standards for data valuation — a process that will reshape financial reporting and investment decisions globally. This post examines why standardisation matters, what frameworks are emerging, and why forward-thinking businesses should start building their data valuation practices now rather than waiting for consensus.
Across boardrooms, regulators, and international bodies, a quiet but consequential contest is unfolding. Governments and standard-setting organisations in Europe, North America, and Asia are each working to define how data should be measured, classified, and valued on corporate books. The outcome of this race will shape financial reporting, investment decisions, and competitive strategy for decades to come.
The challenge is not trivial. Unlike physical assets, data has no universal unit of measurement. Its value depends on what industry it comes from, how current it is, how well it has been governed, and what purpose it serves. Accounting bodies such as the IASB and FASB have so far declined to permit data to appear as an internally generated intangible asset on balance sheets. But pressure from investors, technology firms, and national governments is mounting, and experimental frameworks are multiplying. The EU's Data Act and the OECD's work on data valuation are among the most prominent attempts to bring some structure to the question.
What makes standardisation so urgent is the growing asymmetry between companies that measure their data and those that do not. Firms that have invested in data governance, quality controls, and formal valuation methodologies are increasingly able to use data value arguments in investment rounds, mergers, and regulatory negotiations. Meanwhile, companies without a framework in place are at a disadvantage, even if they hold equally valuable datasets. Standardisation would level this playing field and bring greater transparency to capital markets.
For business leaders, the message is clear: waiting for a universal standard to arrive before beginning the work of data valuation is a losing strategy. Those who develop rigorous internal practices now will be better placed to adopt whatever framework eventually emerges — and to demonstrate compliance quickly when it does. The race to standardise is ultimately a window of opportunity for forward-thinking organisations to establish credibility and build the processes that will soon be expected of all.