Open government data - A key element in the digital society

Abstract

During the last decade several initiatives have worked towards open and freely available data. First, the success by the OpenStreetMap and partly the free use of Google Maps have been a revelation for many users, both in the public sector as well as in the private sector. Additionally, several legal frameworks like the EU directive on Re-use of Public Sector Information and the INSPIRE Directive on geographic information have in various ways encouraged the re-use of public sector information. As a consequence, a minor group of European countries have launched their own open government data projects, and the current research focuses on the role of open public sector information as a major step towards a digital society by analysing the background, extent and expected impact of the Danish open government data initiative. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.