The Open Data Institute (ODI) today announced five new ODI Nodes including the first two from the Asia Pacific region: Osaka, Seoul, Sheffield, Philadelphia and Hawaii. They will join the first raft of Nodes announced at the ODI Summit in October last year. The Nodes bring together companies, universities, and NGOs that support open data projects and communities.

The launch of ODI Seoul builds on the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ODI and the National Information Society Agency (NIA) of the Republic of Korea in November 2013. The MOU marks a commitment to promote closer cooperation in the area of open data.

Since the ODI Summit where the Nodes programme was announced, the ODI has had interest from across the world from organisations wanting to become a Node.

Four of the five new Nodes are city or regional Nodes: ODI Osaka, ODI Seoul, ODI Sheffield, and ODI Philadelphia. ODI Hawaii is a communications Node. (See details in notes to editors on the three types of Nodes.)

This announcement of the new Nodes coincides with a gathering of all the current ODI Nodes in London on 17th and 18th of February.

Richard Stirling, International Director at the ODI said:

“The open data movement continues to gain momentum across the globe – our fivenew Nodes are testament to this. We look forward to working alongside these new Nodes as they explore how open data can drive innovation, boost transparency and bring about social, economic and environmental benefits to their communities.”

Each Node has agreed to adopt the ODI Charter, which is a open source codification of the ODI itself, and embodies principles of open data business, publishing, communication, and collaboration.

The creation of ODI Nodes around the world highlights how people are using the power of open to combine expertise and resources. Each Node will catalyse open data culture within their own communities and communicate open data success stories globally. City and regional Nodes will identify open data collaboration projects, and publish data relating to themselves and their work using open standards such as the ODI Open Data Certificate.

Machi Takahashi, ODI Osaka, and Innovate! Osaka said:

“Innovate Osaka! drives and stimulates innovation in Osaka through workshops, lectures, hackathons and seminars. For us, becoming a city node of the Open Data Institute is an immense opportunity to create and share our work with the leading innovators of the world. We look forward to a fruitful and innovative collaboration.”

Tony Lee, ODI Seoul and CEO at Saltlux, said:

“Becoming an ODI Node and working with world class experts will help Saltlux to fulfill its mission of helping people in ‘communicating knowledge’. It will also support our involvement in a national project in Korea named ‘Government 3.0’ that has a goal to open and utilize government data.”

Jag Goraya, ODI Sheffield and Co-Founder of The Better With Data Society, said:

“In forming The Better With Data Society we’re carrying forward a strong tradition of supporting and driving the open data agenda in Sheffield. We know we’re not isolated in this worldwide movement, and as a city node of the Open Data Institute network, we also know we’re in a stronger, more connected place to help realise civic, cultural and economic value through open data for the local, regional and global communities that we and our members are a part of.”

Burt Lum, ODI Hawaii, and Executive Director at Hawaii Open Data, said:

“Open data policy in Hawaii accomplished major strides in 2013, including the passage of two bills through state and city government. Like the internet itself, open data is a platform on which to build applications, drive innovation and foster civic engagement. Our establishment as an ODI regional Node is quite an honor and marks the next phase in the development of easily accessible, machine readable data with integrity.”

Robert Cheetham, ODI Piladelphia and founder and president of Azavea said:

“Azavea has both relied upon and contributed to the open data community for many years. As the original developers of the OpenDataPhilly.org data portal, becoming an ODI node is a way for us to both celebrate the growing availability of open data in the Philadelphia region and to engage in activities that will promote advancement of the open data ecosystem. I believe that open data is important not only for government transparency but also for academic research, corporate accountability, and to build new businesses; and working with ODI will be an effective way to advance all of these outcomes.”