Open data and innovation: creating value for public bodies

Abstract

Open Government Data or Open Data has been a part of the mainstream political agenda for more than a decade now. Many benefits to society and business have been presented as imperatives for its adoption, many barriers to this overcome and many successes claimed and demonstrated. Despite limited tangible evidence of Open Data realising the benefits cited to support its case for adoption, Open Data initiatives for the most part continue to enjoy the support of Governments, Civil Society and Businesses. This is perhaps unsurprising as it is these groups who are intended as the primary beneficiaries of the Initiatives. Public Bodies in contrast are shouldered with the burden of execution and with significantly less focus on them as beneficiaries. Consequently numerous barriers to adoption by Public Bodies have been documented. This research seeks to investigate how Public Bodies can become beneficiaries of Open Data in their own right. Businesses that have successfully exploited open data cite innovation as the vehicle to their successes, we consider innovation as an enabler for the successful exploitation of Open Data in Public Bodies.