Shaping the Future of Open Data

The public sector, as part of its public task, collects, creates, produces and disseminates a wide range of information from legal and administrative information, business and economic data, to geographic and meteorological information. When this information becomes publicly available in the form of open data, it becomes a key resource for the knowledge society as the information that will be re-used can produce both social and economic value, through the creation of new products and services, new businesses and new jobs.

This report addresses the recent developments in the open data landscape with particular attention to Cyprus and provides an assessment of the Cypriot open data ecosystem. The systematic studying of the economic impact of open data reuse, will assist Cyprus to advance its open data initiatives and become a trend setter in the open data field. Boosting the development of ICT products and services based on open data reuse will not only result in economic growth, but it will also improve Cyprus’ competitiveness within the European economy, supporting the development of a digital single market.

The report was drafted by Deloitte’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship centre as a continuation of the 2013 report on the socioeconomic impact of open data in the region of the Mediterranean. Deloitte is therefore committed in continuing its research in the field of OD reuse, providing targeted recommendations that will assist shaping the Cypriot OD entrepreneurial ecosystem.