Usman Salis
⬤ Eurostat recently revealed the winners of its International Trade Nowcasting Competition, with TURKSTAT-DATG taking first place in almost every category. The team excelled in accuracy, reusability, and innovation for both extra-EU exports and imports, while also performing well in intra-EU export forecasting. Other strong competitors included YXAnalys, bernese, and TheItalianJob, each securing top-three spots in different segments. The diverse results show the depth of talent in the international trade forecasting space.
⬤ These achievements come as potential EU tax changes and regulatory shifts could impact statistical research teams and data-focused institutions. Policymakers are weighing corporate tax adjustments, tighter R&D incentive rules, and changes to capital-gains treatment for digital services. Such proposals might strain smaller agencies and academic units, potentially forcing some into financial trouble if costs climb. Higher taxes on data science and AI roles could also drive talent away, threatening the EU's position in economic modeling and trade analytics—especially at a time when accurate forecasting matters more than ever.
⬤ Eurostat's statement emphasized that "TURKSTAT-DATG emerged as the overall winner," highlighting how crucial nowcasting tools have become for policy planning, supply-chain tracking, and economic decisions across the EU.
⬤ The competition reflects how quickly statistical methods are evolving. TURKSTAT-DATG's success shows the importance of solid, adaptable forecasting systems during volatile market conditions. As the EU weighs new tax and regulatory reforms, this challenge underscores how vital nowcasting is for Europe's economic intelligence and policy-making capabilities.
Usman Salis
