Opportunities, potential and implementation options for open data in small and rural municipalities in Germany
While countries such as France and Poland are already successfully implementing it, there is still enormous untapped potential behind closed doors in many German municipalities: data. Open data, or simply open data, could have a lasting impact on administration, the economy and society. For small and rural municipalities in particular, open data could be much more than an abstract digital topic: it could transform data into knowledge, promote innovation and strengthen transparency.
Germany drops the most points in the current EU Open Data Maturity Report 2024, landing in 25th place.[1] Rural municipalities in particular have a lot of catching up to do.[2] But what opportunities and potential lie behind these doors, and how can they be opened?
What is open data?
Open data refers to data that is openly accessible, of high quality, machine-readable and can be used without restriction so that anyone can use, process and share it[3]. It is published under open licenses and can be used for various applications and purposes.[4] Open datasets come from a wide variety of areas, including administration, science, transportation and business.
Open data can be evaluated using various models. The EU’s Open Data Maturity Model, for example, assesses the maturity of open data in European countries based on four dimensions: Policy, Portal, Quality and Impact.[5] Germany falls further behind in the quality and impact categories in particular. Higher data quality, targeted use and structured provision can bring both economic and social benefits.
Opportunities and challenges of and for open data
Providing open data brings numerous advantages for municipalities. In a municipal survey conducted in 2022, almost a quarter of the municipalities surveyed saw open data and the provision of their databases as an opportunity.[6] In particular, more transparent action at a societal level was seen as a key opportunity. An open and transparent administration increases the traceability of government action, thus strengthening public trust and the acceptance and perception of municipal work and decisions. [7]
As the City of Bonn’s open data portal shows, free access to data enables urban society to participate more actively in order to ultimately develop innovative and more sustainable solutions.[8]
Open data also offers considerable added value for process optimization and bureaucracy reduction within the administration. Through open interfaces (APIs), administrative data and documents can be used more efficiently, bureaucratic hurdles can be reduced and existing data silos can be broken down. This facilitates the exchange between citizens, authorities and organizations.[9];[10]
An important step after publication is the actual use of the data, for example as part of the implementation of a digital twin. Digital twins as images of real objects and processes can be continuously updated using open data. This enables more precise analyses, well-founded decisions and forward-looking spatial planning. The digital twin of the city of Rotterdam, for example, shows that open data creates considerable added value by being bundled on a central platform. As a “central data hub”, the digital twin can be used for analyses and simulations without changing existing administrative processes. [11]
Many municipalities may not initially be aware of the added value of open data. In addition, many small and rural municipalities lack the necessary human and financial resources to implement corresponding projects. [12] There are also technical hurdles and a lack of expertise, which makes it difficult to process and provide the data. Data protection concerns, particularly in the interpretation of the GDPR, represent a further hurdle. [13] Another major problem is the inconsistent data quality and lack of standardization, which limits the usability of the data.[14]
Recommendations for action for small municipalities
Inter-municipal cooperation with other municipalities or cities makes sense in order to pool resources and use joint open data platforms. One example is the INTERREG-Central Europe project DoorCE, which is developing local data hubs. With the help of no- or low-code tools, open data can be reused easily and without in-depth technical knowledge (e.g. by SMEs and citizens). The aim here is a continuous flow of real-time data. A gradual introduction through pilot projects or use cases, for example with environmental or traffic data, can make it easier to get started with open data-based development. Local authorities should also rely on open source solutions (e.g. CKAN), as these offer a cost-efficient way of publishing data.
Municipalities can also use funding programs at state, federal or EU level to obtain financial support. Standardized data formats and APIs improve interoperability, while active citizen participation increases acceptance. These measures also enable small municipalities to make targeted use of the benefits of open data, such as greater transparency and innovation.
[1] European Commission (ed.) (2024): 2024 Open Data Maturity Report, Luxembourg, p. 6. URL: https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/odm2024_full_report.pdf
[2] Bertelsmann Stiftung (ed.) (2022): Municipal survey Open Data 2022. in: LebensWerte Kommune, Issue 4, p. 8. URL: https://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/fileadmin/files/PicturePark/2022-11/Kommunalbefragung_Open_Data_2022.pdf
[3] Cooperation OGD Austria (ed.) (2023): A guide to open data, pp. 2-9. URL: https://www.data.gv.at/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Open_Data_Leitfaden_20230622.pdf
[4] Bertelsmann Stiftung (ed.) (2020): A guide to open data, p.8. URL: https://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/fileadmin/files/Projekte/Smart_Country/Open_Data_Leitfaden.pdf
[5]European Commission (ed.) (2024), p.15
[6] Bertelsmann Stiftung (2022), p. 5
[7] TSB (ed.) (2014): Digital Gold. Benefits and added value through open data for Berlin, p. 15. URL: https://www.technologiestiftung-berlin.de/downloads/digitales-gold-nutzen-und-wertschoepfung-durch-open-data
[8] Fraunhofer IESE (ed.) (2023): Open Data for Smart Counties, p. 8. URL: https://toolset.deutschlanddigital.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/05/Open-Data-fuer-Smarte-Landkreise.pdf
[9] Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI) (ed.) (2021): Open Data Strategy of the Federal Government, p. 14. URL: https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/downloads/DE/publikationen/themen/moderne-verwaltung/open-data-strategie-der-bundesregierung.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=6
[10] Bertelsmann Stiftung (2022), p. 6
[11] BBSR (2023): Digital twins. Potentials in urban development, p. 14. URL: https://www.smart-city-dialog.de/system/files/media/1247/1698743169/digitale-zwillinge-dl.pdf
[12] Bertelsmann Stiftung (ed.) (2020): Open Data in Municipalities – A Municipal Survey on the Opportunities and Challenges of Providing Open Data, p.10 ff. URL: https://backend.repository.difu.de/server/api/core/bitstreams/45f524c9-246f-4496-9898-1d5fe7c3c47b/content
[13] Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI) (ed.) (2021): Open Data Strategy of the Federal Government, p. 15 ff. URL: https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/downloads/DE/publikationen/themen/moderne-verwaltung/open-data-strategie-der-bundesregierung.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=6
[14] Bertelsmann Stiftung (ed.) (2020): Open Data in Municipalities – A Municipal Survey on the Opportunities and Challenges of Providing Open Data, p.15. URL: https://backend.repository.difu.de/server/api/core/bitstreams/45f524c9-246f-4496-9898-1d5fe7c3c47b/content