Over 200 participants from administration, business, research, government, journalism, and IT attended the Open Data Conference, which was hosted jointly by Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the Swiss Opendata.ch association.
Greater transparency is needed
Regardless of whether the data concerns governing bodies, companies, networks, or mobility organizations, open access is essential so that everyone can use it. We generate much of this data ourselves when we use our smartphone or a public means of transportation. But data can also be obtained from our history, experience and projects, and it can lead to useful findings. Many companies already process such data in some form or another for their own purposes.
Free access to datasets not only boosts innovation and allows for better decisions, it also helps to answer many questions about society and public life that most companies would never even consider asking themselves. Simon Hodson, Executive Director of CODATA, believes that creating value for the public means allowing anyone to find the data they need and to use and reproduce it freely. This applies especially in the case of our own data, and Hodson therefore stressed the importance of fair data.
What does the future hold in store?
Peter Delfosse, CEO of Axon Group, set the tone at the beginning of the Open Data Conference by explaining that the paradigm shift in the digital transformation is taking us away from portals and towards assistants, which rely on data ecosystems. This means we are now entering a new realm where context, rather than content, is of the essence. In other words, the digital transformation is being driven by applied projects for the benefit all stakeholders, and no longer by IT projects, as was the case previously. Delfosse emphasized that regulations offer little protection at this stage – in fact, they tend to hamper these developments.
“Data is not like fuel that gets used up, but an investment,” Peter Delfosse, CEO of Axon Group.
The need for a more holistic approach that Peter Delfosse asked for in his keynote address was confirmed in numerous applied examples by Rahel Ryf, who manages the öV Schweiz open data platform, and in the talk by Andreas Kellerhals, head of the Swiss Federal Archive that manages the opendata.swiss platform. Both Ryf and Kellerhals demonstrated how these applications use very few datasets, even though data volume continues to increase and an ever larger number of users are accessing them.
It therefore follows that data doesn’t only need to be open, it also needs to be connected. During the panel discussion on “Beyond Government Data,” it became clear that at many companies today this takes place only during a second step. So sharing data internally means first of all adapting the organizational culture, said Christoph Bürki, senior project manager for corporate strategy with focus on digitalization and data management at Post CH AG. Currently many companies are starting to take this step, and the next one of making data openly available and connected is likely to follow soon.
Speakers and topics of the Open Data conference 2017
Peter Delfosse, CEO of Axon Group
“The role of open data in the digital transformation”
Simon Hodson, CEO of CODATA
“The role of open data in the digital transformation”
Rahel Ryf, head of the “öV Schweiz” open data platform of Swiss Federal Railways in Bern
“The öV Schweiz open data platform: Shaping the digital future of public transportation with open data.”
Andreas Kellerhals, head of the Swiss Federal Archive
“Open (government) data 2014 – 2018: Overview of the current situation and the outlook and aims”
Sylke Gruhnwald, reporter, observer, and president of journalismusfund.eu
“Journalism and open data: Data for all!”
Pascal Jenny, resort manager of Arosa Tourism
“How Swiss mountain tourism can benefit from open data.”
The afternoon was dedicated to parallel workshops on the topics of research, tourism, transportation, nutrition, open smart cities, and data infrastructure.
Barnaby Skinner, data journalist of the Sonntags Zeitung and the Tages Anzeiger, moderated the Beyond Government Data panel and welcomed guests Christoph Bürki, senior project manager for corporate strategy with focus on digitalization and data management at Post CH AG, and Rahel Ryf, head of the “öV Schweiz” open data platform of Swiss Federal Railways in Bern.
Parvel Richter, CEO of Open Knowledge International
“Q&A: The role of “open” in the digital world”
Martin Vetterli, President of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne EPFL
“Closing keynote address: The role of “open” in digital Switzerland”
You will find the complete program and presentations slides on opendata.ch.
