The International Open Data Conference comes to Canada for the first time!

What’s next for open data in Canada?

This is a question for the global open data community – governments, businesses, civil society, and people like you. Where does this movement need to go? It’s an exciting time for open data, and it requires international coordination to fully deliver on its potential.

Around the world, governments have been signing on to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) to work together for transparent and accountable governments. Government open data websites have launched, grown, and matured, giving citizens free and easy access to massive amounts of information. As this data is being released, the OGP Open Data Working Group, co-chaired by Canada, is working to establish global standards and ensure operability.

On May 28 and 29, 2015, hundreds of open data experts, senior government officials, industry leaders, and civil society champions from around the world will gather in Ottawa, Canada, to take stock of the evolution of the global open data movement. They will work toward charting a course for the future.

Sponsored by the Government of Canada, Canada’s International Development Research Centre, and the World Bank, the 3^rd International Open Data Conference (IODC) will focus on laying the foundation for a truly global open data movement. It will explore how technology and open collaboration can strengthen democracy, build prosperity, and ensure that everyone benefits from the possibilities of open data.

An Agenda for Enabling the Data Revolution

The open data movement has reached a pivot point, faced with several crucial questions:

• How might we build a global consensus on open data standards?
• How might we promote the adoption of data solutions?
• How might we ensure inclusion and broad participation so that everyone can benefit from the data revolution?

The IODC seeks to answer these questions while continuing the foundational hard work of releasing high quality open data.

Open data and its uses, by nature, transcend government and industry boundaries. The unpredictable uses of open data are central to its value. This conference is an opportunity to connect this multi-disciplinary open data community: health, agriculture, education, natural resources and the environment, open cities and local data innovation, parliaments, and government and fiscal transparency.

The week will be a key convening point for the global open data community, with the Open Government Partnership Open Data Working Group, Open Data for Development (OD4D), and other organizations hosting meetings around the summits and conference.  As well, the two days prior (May 26 and 27) will set the stage for dialogue on open data with civil society-led summits. This includes a full-day event organized by the Open Knowledge Foundation, the Latin America Open Data Initiative, and Canada’s Open North.

Come and join us in Ottawa in May

Registration for the 3^rd International Open Data Conference is now open. We invite you to come and explore a wide variety of open data issues and collaborate on charting the future of open data at the 3rd International Open Data Conference, May 28 and 29, 2015, in Ottawa, Canada.