The Bank of Italy has opened LabBI, an on-site laboratory at its Research Data Center designed to expand access to microdata for the scientific community. The facility provides dedicated workstations for authorized researchers to view microdata and conduct statistical processing. LabBI makes granular business survey data available for research and, for researchers affiliated with organizations that have signed a data access agreement with the Bank of Italy, provides access to data on key balance sheet items of individual banks. It also makes available, for the first time, bank-level data on average interest rates applied to euro-area households and non-financial corporations across various loan and deposit categories, based on a sample of Italian banks; the series are monthly from 2003 and updated annually, with ABI bank identification codes withheld to protect confidentiality. Additional datasets are expected to be added over time. LabBI is positioned alongside existing dissemination channels, including open access anonymized datasets (Public Use File) and remote microdata processing via the REX system.
Bank of Italy 2025-01-09
Bank of Italy opens LabBI on-site laboratory to give authorized researchers access to microdata
The Bank of Italy has launched LabBI, an on-site laboratory at its Research Data Center, to enhance microdata access for the scientific community. LabBI offers workstations for authorized researchers to analyze granular business survey data and key balance sheet items of individual banks, with additional datasets anticipated. It also provides bank-level data on average interest rates for euro-area households and non-financial corporations, updated annually from a 2003 sample.