Premier Mao Chi-kuo has highlighted the importance of advancing open data development in 2015. Since the Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (IDB, MOEA) kick started its Open Data developing applications(開放資料應用推動計畫) project at the end of 2013, over a year’s worth of efforts have shown outstanding progress, and Taiwan’s world ranking in the Open Knowledge Foundation’s Global Open Data Index jumped from No. 36 in 2013 to No. 11 in 2014.
In order to further strengthen exchanges and practical collaborations with the UK, which was the first and most successful country to promote open data, the Industrial Development Bureau organized the Taiwan-UK Open Data Summit on Thursday, March 19, 2015 with the British Trade & Cultural Office (BTCO) and the Open Data Institute (ODI). The abundant content included the latest Open Data developments, covering policy, research and commercial applications that appealed over 250 participants. The speakers of the summit come from UK and Taiwanese start-up companies and academic circles, and they bring a great deal of expertise, knowledge and successful experiences in mutual application, also exchange expectation and explore potential opportunities and more interaction benefits between Taiwan and UK in the future, especially in the disaster management, environmental and geographic field.
In addition to global collaboration, the Industrial Development Bureau also held its Open Data Innovative and Application Competition(創新應用競賽) to encourage developers and creative teams to use government data in applications. The first edition attracted 374 teams to participate. Sixty-eight outstanding teams won awards, and eight new start-ups received support from the Industrial Development Bureau to establish new companies.
Through this summit, Taiwan’s open data start-ups can definitely inspire and encourage the creation of more new applications and enhance the global status of Taiwan’s companies.