The European Commission predicts a one trillion Euro windfall for Europe in 2025 due to growth in the data economy (DE). This article explores the potential of the DE and its importance in creating better businesses, services, and lives. It emphasizes that capitalizing on the data economy is a major priority for both businesses and governments, with initiatives focusing on strong data infrastructure, regulatory compliance, data literacy, advanced data skills development, and support for data-oriented start-ups. The article also highlights the challenges of managing abundant data and the need to build robust data infrastructure from day one.