Public Data Valorization: A Three-Stage Framework and Insights from China

Data is now a core production factor, yet research lacks a coherent account of how public data creates value and how governance supports that process. This study proposes a clear three stage framework for public data valorization that links resourceization, assetization, and capitalization to activities in the data value chain. Built from the literature and examined in the Chinese context, the framework yields three findings. Resourceization focuses on lawful collection, standard processing, and secure usability. Assetization clarifies rights, converts data resources into measurable assets, and enables circulation. Capitalization embeds data in real use cases and combines it with other factors, using market mechanisms to realize and expand value. We also summarize four complementary modes in China, namely sharing, openness, authorized operation, and transaction, and explain their roles and advantages. The study provides stage linked challenges and governance priorities, offering practical guidance for policy design and valorization process refinement.