2013 is a very important year for Denmark as it has conquered two milestones in its Open Data agenda and this spring, the entire story will come together at the first conference addressing open data since the big release.
Here’s the event info in brief:
What?: Open Data track at Open Source Days
Where?: Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
When?: This weekend! Saturday 9th – Sunday 10th March
Website: here
###But let’s first have a short introduction…
The Danish Open Data initiative started in 2009 with open seminars for data enthusiasts, the launching of the Data Catalog (digitaliser.dk), and a national data contest. The Data Catalog is an online catalog that allows public bodies to register their own datasets. 2010 was the year of economic potential studies, publication of technical and legal guidelines, the introduction of the open data license, and DataCamp 2010, plus an Open Data conference.
In 2011, Denmark deepened the economic studies on specific industries and the initiative became part of the e-Government strategy. 2012 saw a massive increase in open data awareness. The initiative became part of the Open Government Partnership, and there a political agreement was signed for opening up central “basic data”. A community of about 100 members, from different professional backgrounds, came together and started meeting on a regular basis.
And so, with 2013 came the exciting new releases! On 1st of January, the basic geodata became free of charge: the cadastral map, the Danish elevation model, and map data including watercourses. Then on 2nd of January, the general data from the central business register and company register became freely accessible.
##The conference
In this context, on 9th March, Copenhagen will host its first conference on Open Data since the big releases in January. The event will take place within the Open Source Days conference, an event with a strong lineage. OSD has been organised every year for the last 15 years, making it the oldest of its kind in Northern Europe. Its main focus has been on Open Source developers and users, but this year the organisers decided to broaden the horizons by dedicating a track for tackling the complexity of Open Data implications in the Danish society.
We have gathered some of the most important players on the Open Data Danish playground to come and share their knowledge, experience, questions and doubts. We will cover key issues including the birth and development of the Open Data Agenda, open government, practical examples of businesses built upon open data, and more. Christian Villum from the Open Knowledge Foundation will be there talking about the What, Why, and How of Open Government Data.
If you are curious to see how Denmark address the Open Data movement, feel free to follow Open Source Days on Twitter @opensourcedays, on Facebook at Open Source Days, or on our webpage.
