What NI can learn on open data from governments near and far...

I’ve been talking recently to advocates for open data principles. Open data is a vital driver of innovation, all this was accepted and recognised in the NI’s Open Data Strategy back 2019.

I’ve been on the OpenDataNI Portal and there doesn’t appear to be much activity around it (I say 'appear', there may be lots of stuff happening in the background; I’m making an observation, not a criticism). Good things had been occurring here - just a few years ago, Northern Ireland was rated 10th out of 94 countries in the Global Open Data Index.

The economic value of open data is significant. In the EU, the open data market size is estimated to range between €200bn and €330 billion by 2025 (this citation is a few years old, but the source is authoritative). Re-reading the Open Data Strategy, I wondered how much further along we are towards creating “Open Data influenced innovators”.

South Korea’s approach is a compelling example of how to maximise its potential. Their government has taken a forward-thinking approach by actively involving the private sector in utilising open data. This collaboration is creating real impact, providing insights for other regions looking to harness the power of open data—including Northern Ireland.

In South Korea, the commitment to open data is clear. The Open Data Strategy Council is co-chaired by the Prime Minister - underscoring the high priority the country places on data transparency and innovation. The council’s role is to guide open data policies, ensuring alignment between public needs and private sector capabilities.

One standout initiative is South Korea’s use of AI training programs with open data. This initiative aims to boost private sector innovation and expand the utility of open data sets. South Korea is also experimenting with synthetic data, thereby feeding models with accurate and relevant data while safeguarding privacy.

South Korea’s open data portal hosts 87,000 public datasets, 11,000 open APIs, and has enabled 61 million use cases. These resources create opportunities for businesses, researchers, and entrepreneurs to build AI-driven solutions that address real-world challenges. (Labour did propose something similar to Korea’s AI Hub, they had provisioned for a National Data Library in their manifesto.)

In Northern Ireland, we have our own open data portal and a commitment to an open data strategy. I can’t see an updated Open Data Strategy going into the second half of this decade. Ireland has produced its Open Data Strategy for 2023-2027. In his foreword, Minister Pascal Donohoe says: “Open Data and its uses provide opportunities to be embraced; opportunities to transform and improve public services; opportunities to boost productivity and create new businesses and jobs; and opportunities to build public trust.” The number of datasets available on the Irish Government’s open source portal stands at almost 15,000 coming from 160 data publishers. 

Given the present context technologically, proceeding with a refreshed strategy must be something that Northern Ireland is looking at. And there’s much to learn from governments near and far. 

Government collaboration with the private sector can accelerate data-driven innovation, creating a more robust ecosystem for AI development. Embracing similar strategies could amplify the impact of our open data efforts, driving both economic growth and technological advancements.