Simmons & Simmons worked with an external research agency, Longitude (a Financial Times company), to develop and conduct the survey and create the benchmark index results. Longitude was also involved in the development of the online benchmarking tool. To test our original hypothesis and survey questions we consulted with an advisory board comprised of data experts and some TMT sector industry representatives to define the factors relevant to a successful data commercialisation strategy. We then created a survey that measured the approach of companies to those factors (over 350 TMT companies responded to the survey in May and June 2019). Companies located in the following counties participated in the survey: Mainland China, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR China, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, UK, United Arab Emirates and the US. That has produced the survey results that underlie the benchmark index.