A NEW portal for accessing public sector data can act is a driver for economic growth, it has been claimed.
A new website www.opendatani.gov.uk gives users access to government data freely without restrictions to everyone.
The open data portal joins up access to data across a range of themes, including health; education; employment and the economy; population and society; property and land; and environment and agriculture.
The portal brings together, in one place, a range of data from government departments and other public sector organisations, some of which has not previously been published. The data is free to copy, adapt, commercially exploit and publish.
Finance minister Arlene Foster officially launched the portal and told representatives from the private and public sectors and academia about its benefits.
"The Northern Ireland open data portal is a place to publish, share and find public sector information. This open access aims to transform current public sector data management practices and create an 'open by default' culture within the Northern Ireland public sector," she said.
"The release of public sector data has huge potential to create jobs and stimulate, strengthen and grow the Northern Ireland economy. The Open Data Institute in England recently identified 270 companies in the UK that produce or invest in open data. Between them they employ over half a million people and have a turnover of £92billion pounds.
"The time is right for businesses, developers and academics in Northern Ireland to exploit the commercial potential of open data. I encourage them to utilise the data available on this new website to innovate and create those commercial opportunities
"The new website already has more than 40 datasets available, everything from prescription data to mapping and transport. This will grow as all public sector organisations work towards releasing more data. For example, work is ongoing with Translink to release real time bus information."
Regarding the benefits of the data to government, Mrs Foster said: "We are at the start of a significant turning point in Northern Ireland as we seek to reform our public sector. Open data will play a crucial part in enabling innovation in the public sector, which will help us to find smarter and better ways of delivering public services."
