Upcoming open data events in Spain

The Spanish thematic network on Open Data and Smart Cities was created in December 2014, an initiative fostered by research groups, technology centers, public administrations and private companies. On Thursday of this week, the network is hosting a meeting (12.00 to 14.00 pm) in Medialab-Prado center (in Madrid), where the project’s objectives will be presented, followed by a discussion panel about the open data challenges in Smart Cities. To access to this free event, you need to fill out an online registration form. In case you cannot attend the meeting, it can be followed via Twitter.

Lately, on occasion of the International Open Data Day, the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV) organizes for the first time an opendathaton, a contest to promote the re-use of open data within the Valencian academic community. The application deadline is 29 February, due date to send the projects based on the re-use of open data.

The opendatathon is aimed at university students and five finalists will be selected in three different categories: best history about data, best data exploring tool and best data prediction app. Apart from that, there is an special award (Premio Cátedra Ciudad de Valencia UPV) dedicated to those projects which re-use the information of Valencia’s open data portal related to:

• Design of urban routes accessible for disabled citizens from Valencia's suburbs. 
• Design of applications that localize areas with lower health status; helping public administrations take measures to redress the situation. 
• Design of geospatial solutions to improve cycle paths in town.

Submission can be either by an individual or a group and shall be sent through a web form. Each project will attach an explanatory summary, including the reused datasets, the information resources, procedures and the languages/frameworks.