This document discusses open data strategies in Amsterdam. It notes that while civil servants recognize the importance of open data, many do not understand specific government open data initiatives or their own role in delivering open data. It also discusses challenges that local governments face with open data, including legacy IT systems and a lack of understanding around open data. The document then outlines some strategies that have helped stimulate open data programs in Amsterdam, including EU projects that created civic apps, hackathons, and toolkits. It notes positive effects these projects have had, like increasing awareness, setting the local open data agenda, and introducing concepts like "commons" and open source tools. Overall, the document advocates for external financing and networking for open data agents and producing user

1. Open Data Strategy Amsterdam
Open Data Scotland
6th March 2014, Edinburgh
Katalin Gallyas
Open Innovation Policy
Advisor
@KatalinG

2. Open Data. Why?
Public sector staff recognize the importance of open
data, but many are unsure how to use it. (Guardian
Research, June 2013)

3. Striking facts
“While 72% of the interviewed civil servants understood that
open data would be very important over the next three
years, 78% did not know about specific government open
data initiatives or what their benefits would be.
….and 66% did not understand their personal role in
delivering the open data agenda.”
(Source: Open Data Policy Research, Guardian, June 2013)

4. Open Data. Why?

5. Open Data Controversial for Local Governments
Open Data chances are
unrevealed for governments.
Because of ICT legacy focus,
Vendor- and Open Data
Interpretation Illiteracy
Who to choose? What to choose?
Huge range of non proprietary
and proprietary systems.
-ODP Open Data Partnership
-Open Data Institute
-Open Knowledge Foundation

6. Vocabularies Policy Makers
“What is the evidence that
we should release
datasets?”
“How many start ups have
been created since we
launched the first datasets”
“Can Open Data repair a
market
failure, inefficiency?”

7. Vendor Fusion

8. Current open data catalysts (non-proprietary*)

9. Current open data catalysts (proprietary*)

11. Precarious Open Data Policy – Shared Data
Elements
Connected
24 hours
-Awareness raising
-Intern data exchange
-Release new datasets
-App procurement
rationalization
-Not focused on Commons,
API’s

12. What else can help to stimulate
local Open Data programs and
impact?

13. 1. EU Open Data Fuel Project: Code for Europe

14. In 2013 10 fellows worked in 7 cities throughout EU
They created 8 apps that are now shared via
Github and EuropeCommons.org

15. •
September 17th
• OKCon

16. Zuid - Moving Tourists

17. Code for Europe: Civic Apps & Commons

18. Programming workshop in Indische
Buurt
•Held September 7th
•Aimed to expose citizens to web development
*

19. The Future - Commons

20. 2. EU Open Data project: Open Cities Repository &
Hackathons

21. 2. EU project: Open Cities

23. 3. EU Data Project: City SDK (service development toolkit)

25. Amsterdam – Strong Open Data Ecosystem partners
•
•
•
•
•
•
Strong SME’s, hackers’, coders
Business Accelerators
Innovation Intermediaries >>
EU Projects
Open minded City Gov
Participatory citizens

26. Open Data Ecosystem
ICT tools,
Funding, community
Innovation
Intermediaries

27. Open Data Evolution in Amsterdam
• In 2010 hackers, innovation labs and SME’s, web
entrepreneurs requested the first datasets
• 28 datasets open in 2011
• >350 datasets open in 2014
• 2010 – 0 euro budget
• 2013 – 1,5 M euro budget –EU
• 2014- lobby for 1 M eur local resources and many EU project
bids
• From 2013 Open Data Program – by Amsterdam Economic
Board

28. Spin-off effects of the EU demonstrator projects
• Awareness creation about the ‘treasures behind open
data’
• Agenda setting in Open Data Local Governance (in
Ams now budget allocation for hiring 4 full time
employee)
• Bringing evidences , user cases on interoperable and
non-proprietary smart open data solutions

29. Spin-off effects of the EU demonstrator projects
• Fresh injections of most state of art ICT
solutions, trends (GitHub repositories, Open Source
visualization tools) into city halls
• Introducing the concept of
“Commons”, “Standards”, “civic
coders”, “hackers”, “tech grassroots”
• Diving into an exclusive Open Data Catalysts- Smart
Cities network (Enoll, World Bank, OKF, ODI, Future
Cities Catapult, NESTA)

30. Strong Open Data lobby needed:
-extern financing
-entrepreneurship & freedom for
experimentations
-create Open Data ecosystem in your city (label)
-Capture chances on Horizon2020, EUROCITIES
partner finding

31. Best Practices Open Data
• 30 apps have been launched
(face recognition by portrays)
• High educational impact
• Positive PR for the museum
• Reach of new younger
target group
https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/api -110.000 high resolution
photo’s of the collection

33. Beyond Open Data – Business Generation

34. 2012 – Focus of App Contest: The more the better….

35. 2013 – Less apps more business incubation
•
•
•
•
3 start ups coaching
+300 datasets
Participation in Apps4EU
+50 civic apps

36. Community: Appsterdam2600 developers have joined
up

37. Appsterdam- 2600 developers have joined up

38. Understand Open Data dynamics

39. Open Data Observations
1. Open Data Catalysts are strongly dependent on
external financing and networking (role for
Enoll, Connected Smart Cities)- Liberate open data
agents!
2. Vocabularies match between policy makers and open
data catalyst
3. Produce user cases to discover the enormous
underexploited value of data
4. Watch out with corporate Big Data providers
5. Encourage cities to move toward Commons, peer
reviewed open data vendors

40. Thank you!
Katalin Gallyas
gallyas@ez.amsterdam.nl
@katalinG