Discussion Panel II: Public Open Data and the Private Sector

Open data, social media, geographic information systems, wireless communications, and mobile devices are transforming the relationship between government institutions at all levels and the constituents they represent. The open data movement, fueled by technical innovations, offers opportunities to increase accountability and citizen participation through greater transparency and by generating more effective, crowd-sourced solutions to public problems. At the same time, questions of access and inclusion must also be addressed. Which groups are enabled to participate by these tools and whose voices are omitted? This one-day conference explores the impact of open data on public policy and democratic governance in the digital age.

This panel will feature representatives of start-ups and established companies using new technology for open-government initiatives. In addition to discussing how their products meet the needs of government and citizens, they will explore how public open data can help drive the creation of new businesses and stimulate the information economy.