Open Data: What Do Businesses Really Need?

When it comes to open data, few would disagree that the UK is in a world-leading position. Tens of thousands of data sets – free for anyone to use – have been published by central government and local authorities since 2008; the Open Data Institute, launched just two years ago, is incubating a new generation of innovative start-ups whose business models are predicated on the use of open data; the volunteers of the Open Data User Group have championed requests from the wider user community for hundreds more data sets; and, more widely, there is now growing awareness among both businesses and public sector bodies alike that open data and the skills needed to collect and analyse it are fundamental to the growth of this country's new, more digital economy.