With over 1000 participants, 58 panels and workshops, ten parallel tracks, over 200 speakers, and more than 15 fringe events over 9 days, the 2015 International Open Data Conference in Ottawa was a truly global gathering. The events brought together policy makers, technologists, entrepreneurs, humanitarians, journalists, and leaders to explore the role that open data is playing in people’s lives across the world.
Here’s a quick recap of just some of the events that took place:
- Enabling the data revolution: in our plenary panels, speakers from across the world reminded us of the power of data to drive change, but also the challenges ahead in ensuring that the data revolution taking place includes everyone, and puts openness at the centre.
- Panelists debated the need for global principles on open data, and the conference saw the launch of a consultation on an International Open Data Charter, building on a full-day pre-event.
- The inaugural meeting of the Open Data Research Symposium discussed over 30 new research papers: building theory and evidence to support critically informed approaches to open data. Papers included new evidence on open data commitments within Open Government Partnership action plans.
- Ahead of the conference, hundreds of delegates made it to Ottawa early for a successful unConference exploring ways to bridge growing data divides and to share skills across contexts and cultures.
- The Open Parliaments Network was officially launched with a pre-event, and panels in the main conference, placing a focus on openness across all branches of government.
- Data standards and technology groups gathered for in-depth shared learning, with pre-event workshops on Open Contracting, CKAN and Open Corporates, and the launch of the much discussed Humanitarian Exchange Language (HXL), demonstrating a new approach to accessible open data standardisation.
- Standards were high on the discussion agenda at IODC, with a number of action sessions devoted to discussing standardisation, and the launch of the Joined Up Data Alliance right after the conference.
- Impact was high on the agenda, with 15 different thematic impact panels, presenting case studies from around the world. Amongst the sessions, the Data + Agriculture Panel saw the launch of a new working paper from the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) initiative supporting in-depth debate on a problem-centred approach to open data, and panels on Data + Public Finance were supported by the release of a new visualisation template for understanding the follow the money debate.
- The launch of the Open Data Impact Map also provided a way to explore more than 700 examples from around the world, and delegates were invited to add their own examples to the map.
- Leadership was a recurring theme with the launch of the GovLab Network of Innovators, signing up over 100 conference delegates, and a meeting of the Open Data Leadership Network.
- The Open Government Partnership launched the OGP Explorer at the conference to support investigation of how governments are delivering on their open government commitments, including commitments to open data.
- In the closing plenary, the Open Data Institute launched a conversation on the ownership of data infrastructures.
- Across the conference, eight “Action Areas: were discussed, with the conference closing with presentations of a draft action roadmap and delegates invited to share their own open data actions on the #iodc15 #myaction twitter tags.
- The conference saw the launch of the Open Data for Development Fund, which brings together over $6.8M (CDN) in commitments over the next two years to enhance global cooperation, reduce duplication, and support the scaling of open data for development solutions that work.
- Finally, there was the announcement of the fourth International Open Data Conference – to be held in Madrid, Spain in October 2016.
Over the coming weeks we will continue to upload blog posts, videos, and media from the sessions to www.opendatacon.org, capturing even more of the insights and activities that were shared at IODC15.
We’ll also be looking to the future, pulling together a full conference report, and refining the roadmap for action discussed in the closing sessions.
Keep following #iodc15, and www.opendatacon.org to find out about next steps forward from here.
Thanks
IODC would not have been possible without the work of hundreds of people, giving their time to prepare panels, workshop sessions, and fringe events. The IODC15 team would like to extend its sincerest gratitude to everyone who took part and supported the event, including everyone who came from around the world to participate, contribute, and learn.
IODC15 in Numbers
In the spirit of openness, here are some key numbers from the conference .