Swiss OGD study available

André Golliez and his company itopia, together with the Bern University of Applied Sciences and other partners, have over recent months produced a study examining the potential, the risks and the necessary framework conditions of open government data (OGD) in Switzerland. The study was funded by the Gebert Rüf Stiftung and has been available since June 2012.

The study comes to the clear conclusion that OGD pays off for Switzerland, for the following reasons:

• OGD create potential for social benefit as well as for business and economic growth. Innovative companies, private individuals and organisations can develop new information services with freely accessible data from various areas of the administration.
• OGD extend the basic idea of the principle of freedom of information. Thanks to OGD, citizens, parties and the media can gain a more transparent insight into the activities of government and administration, and thus have the opportunity to exercise their political rights more competently.
• OGD support cooperation between government units and lead to higher quality in the production of public services.
• The investment needed for OGD is minimal compared with the economic potential. OGD will pay off for Switzerland even if only part of this potential is realised.

The entire study is available online in full and free of charge:

http://beta.opendata.ch/files/2012/07/OGD_Studie_Schlussversion.pdf