Data: the Raw Material of the 21st Century

In today’s ‘Information Age’,  data is the fuel driving innovation in economy and society.

Chris Yiu, head of the Digital Government Unit at the Policy Exchange (a leading London think tank) sits on the UK Government’s Data Strategy Board. He was recently in Ottawa to speak at the Data Effect conference about UK initiatives. I had a chance to ask  him about open data, big data, and how governments are using them to improve accountability and drive the economy.

The government of the United Kingdom is a founding member of the Open Government Partnership, an initiative to encouraging transparent, effective, and accountable governments. The UK is leading its own transparency policy with several key initiatives:

• Data is being made available, searchable, useable, and ‘open’ through data.gov.uk
• The establishment of a ministerial advisory Data Strategy Board
• Government has established an Open Data License to make it simple to release and use data
• Government has helped establish the Open Data Institute to catalyze open data culture

To see more current information on how the UK government is pursuing transparency and openness in government, check out GOV.UK