Sector público

Summer is coming to an end and giving way to an autumn that is full of relevant events for the open data sector and related technologies. At this time of year, you can take part in innovative competitions, learn about European data spaces and discuss the transformative power of data in society. Take note of these opportunities, many of them free. We bring you a compilation of trainings, conferences, events, competitions and much more.

Madrid City Council Open Data Competition

This year, for the first time, the Madrid City Council joins the promotion of open data with a new competition that seeks to promote the reuse of municipal public information to develop innovative solutions.

The challenge is clear: to turn data into useful, original and impactful ideas. If you think you can do it, below, we summarize the information you must take into account to compete.

• When? Until September 9.

• Where? You can submit your proposal online in any of these areas:

• More information: check the rules and participate here.

IX edition of the Open Data Contest of Castilla y León

The Regional Government of Castilla y León launches the ninth edition of its competition, to recognize projects that use open datasets from  the portal of the Junta de Castilla y León. These datasets can be combined, if the participants so wish, with other public or private sources, at any level of administration.

• When? Until September 22.

• Where? Applications may be submitted in person or through the electronic headquarters of the Junta de Castilla y León. The categories are:

• More information: access all the information here.

Free GIS Conferences

A reference meeting for professionals and enthusiasts of free Geographic Information Systems (GIS), where the latest trends in open geotechnologies will be presented.

This event is the perfect place to share knowledge, explore new tools and discuss topics such as:

• Visualization and spatial analysis.

• Webmapping and software development.

• Earth observation and data science.

• Geostatistics and machine learning.

• When? On September 17 and 18.

• Where? At the University of Girona, offering accommodation at the Hotel Carlemany.

• More information: see the full program.

XLI SEPLN Congress 2025 - Presence of the ILENIA Project

The International Congress of the Society for Natural Language Processing (SEPLN) celebrates its 41st edition this year. The main objective of this event is to provide a meeting space between the scientific community and industry to present and discuss the latest advances, challenges and applications of NLP.

This forum will be an excellent opportunity to share R+D+i projects, as well as to learn about success stories and practical applications that are transforming various sectors. In addition, the participation of new professionals  will be encouraged and will include the participation of the ILENIA project, an initiative that seeks to promote the new digital economy based on natural language in Spain.

• When? From 23 to 26 September.

• Where? In Zaragoza.

• More information: learn more about the event.

Webinar on the European Tourism Data Space

This webinar, organised by the European Open Data Portal, will address the deployment of the Common European Tourism Data Space (ETDS), a key initiative for the digitalisation of the tourism sector.

In this session, an expert from the project DEPLOYTOUR You'll share valuable insights into your goals, best practices, and lessons learned. In addition, two practical use cases (Pleiades and EONA-X) showing how the ETDS is applied in real tourism contexts, fostering cross-border collaboration and promoting the digitalisation and green transition of the sector.

• When? On September 12 from 10 am to 11 am (CET).

• Where? Virtual.

• More information: Register here.

EURegions Week

This event provides a communication and networking platform to foster cooperation, knowledge sharing, and address regional and urban challenges, including sessions focused on driving data-driven approaches. With a unique thematic focus each year, EURegionsWeek combines innovative and participatory sessions with traditional workshops, providing opportunities for collaboration and learning.

In addition, participation is completely free, and registration will be open until September 30.

• When? From 13 to 15 October.

• Where? In Brussels and online.

• More information: access the event information.

ENDORSE - The European Data Conference on Reference Data and Semantics

This European conference focused on semantic data is organised by the Publications Office of the European Union and will address the latest developments in data standards and interoperability. The theme of this edition is 'Reference Data and AI: Transforming Data into Action across Borders and Languages', a topic that has become even more relevant since the entry into force of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act on 1 August 2024.

In addition to the keynotes, ENDORSE 2025 will highlight a number of networking opportunities, allowing attendees to interact with experts through interactive workshops and panel discussions.

• When? On October 8 and 9.

• Where? In Brussels.

• Learn more: Key event details.

These are some of the events that are scheduled for this fall. In any case, don't forget to follow us on social networks so you don't miss any news about innovation and open data. We are on Instagram, X and LinkedIn, and you can also write to us at dinamizacion@datos.gob.es if you want us to include any other events to the list or if you need extra information.

Spain's open data initiative, datos.gob.es, is revamped to offer a more accessible, intuitive and efficient experience. The change responds to the desire to improve access to data and facilitate its use by citizens, researchers, companies and administrations. With an updated design and new functionalities, the platform will continue to act as a meeting point for all those who seek to innovate based on data.

Focus on high-value datasets and web services

The new website reinforces its central axis, the National Open Data Catalogue, an access point to nearly 100,000 datasets, which group more than 500,000 files, and which the Spanish Public Administration makes available to companies, researchers and citizens for reuse. In it you can find datasets published by bodies of the General State Administration, regional, local, universities, etc.

One of the most relevant advances is the improvement in the possibilities for data publishers to describe in a more precise and structured way the data collections they wish to make available to the public. A more detailed description of the sources makes it easier for users to locate data of interest.

Specifically, the platform incorporates a new metadata model aligned with the latest versions of European standards, the national application profile DCAT-AP-ES, which adapts guidelines from the European metadata exchange scheme DCAT-AP (Data Catalog Vocabulary – Application Profile). This profile improves interoperability at national and European level, facilitates compliance with EU regulations, favors the federation of catalogues and the localization of datasets, and contributes to improving the quality of metadata through validation mechanisms, among other advantages.

In addition, the new version of datos.gob.es introduces significant improvements to the Catalog view, highlighting high-value data (HVD) and data offered through web services. To improve their identification, distinctive symbols have been added that allow you to differentiate the types of resources immediately.

Likewise, the number of documented metadata has been expanded, which is shown to users through a clearer structure. Metadata provided by publishers can now be categorized into general information, data sheet, contact and quality aspects. This new organization provides users with a more complete and accessible view of each dataset.

It is also worth noting that the data request process has been optimized  to offer a more intuitive and fluid experience.

A new information architecture to improve usability

The new datos.gob.es platform has also adapted its information architecture to make it more intuitive and improve navigation and access to relevant information. The new settings make it easier to locate datasets and editorial content, while contributing to accessibility, ensuring that all users, regardless of their technical knowledge or device type, can interact with the website without difficulties.

Among other issues, the menu has been simplified, grouping the information into five large sections:

• Data: includes access to the National Catalogue, along with forms to request new data to be published as open. Information on data spaces and safe environments can also be found in this section, along with a section on resources for publisher support.
• Community: designed to learn more about open data initiatives in Spain and be inspired by examples of reuse through various use cases, organized into companies and applications. It should be noted that the map of initiatives has been updated with revised and improved files, with the option of filtering by the category of data offered, making it easier to consult. In this section we also find information on the challenges and the subsection of sectors, which has been considerably expanded, incorporating all those defined by the Technical Standard for Interoperability of Reuse of Information Resources, which allows a more complete view of both the data and its potential for use according to each area.
• News: users will be able to keep up to date with the latest developments in the data ecosystem through news and information on events related to the subject.
• Knowledge: one of the main novelties of the new platform is that all the resources that seek to promote data-based innovation have been unified under a single heading, making it easier to organize. Through this section, users will be able to access: blog articles, written by experts in various fields (data science, data governance, legal aspects, etc.), where trends in the sector are explained and analyzed; data exercises to learn step by step how to process and work with data; infographics that graphically summarize complex use cases or concepts; interviews with experts in podcast, video or written formats; and guides and reports, aimed at both publishers and reusers of data. Also included is the link to the GitHub repository, whose visibility has been strengthened in order to promote access and collaboration of the data community in the development of open tools and resources.
• About us: in addition to information about the project, FAQs, contact, platform technology, etc., in this section you can access the new dashboard, which now provides more detailed metrics on the catalog, content, and outreach actions.

The new version of datos.gob.es also introduces key improvements to the way content and datasets are located. The platform has been optimized with an intelligent search, which allows a guided search and a greater number of filters, making it easier to find information faster and more accurately.

Improved internal functionalities

The new version of datos.gob.es also brings with it internal improvements that will facilitate management for data publishers, optimizing processes. The private part accessed by agencies has been revamped to offer a more intuitive and functional interface. The console has been redesigned to streamline data management and administration, allowing for more efficient and structured control.

In addition, the content manager has been updated to its latest version, which guarantees better performance.

These enhancements reinforce datos.gob.es's commitment to the continuous evolution and optimization of its platform, ensuring a more accessible and efficient environment for all actors involved in the publication and management of open data. The new platform not only improves the user experience, but also drives data reuse across multiple industries.

We invite you to explore what's new and reap the benefits of data as a driver of innovation!

In an increasingly complex world, public decisions need more than intuition: they require scientific evidence. This is where I+P (Innovation + Public Policy) initiatives come into play: an intersection between creativity, data-driven knowledge, and policy action.

In this article we will explain this concept, including examples and information about funding programs.

What is I+P?

I+P is not a mathematical formula, but a strategic practice that combines scientific knowledge, research, and citizen participation to improve the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of public policies. It is not only a matter of applying technology to the public sphere, but of rethinking how decisions are made, how solutions are formulated and how society is involved in these processes through the application of scientific methodologies.

This idea stems from the concept of "science for public policy", also known as "science for policy" or "Science for Policy" (S4P) and implies active collaboration between public administrations and the scientific community.

I+P initiatives promote empirical evidence and experimentation. To this end, they promote the use of data, emerging technologies, pilot tests, agile methodologies and feedback loops that help design more efficient and effective policies, focused on the real needs of citizens. This facilitates real-time decision-making  and the possibility of making agile adjustments in situations that require quick responses. In short, it is about providing more creative and accurate responses to today's challenges, such as climate change or digital inequality, areas where traditional policies can fall short.

The following visual summarizes these and other benefits.

Source: FECYT Call for Public Innovation - adapted by datos.gob.es.

Examples of R+P initiatives

The use of data for political decision-making was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, where policymakers were adapting the measures to be taken based on reports from institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO). But beyond these types of extraordinary events, today we find consolidated initiatives that increasingly seek to promote innovation and decision-making based on scientific data in the public sphere on an ongoing basis. Let's look at two examples.

• Periodic reports from scientific institutions to bring scientific knowledge closer to public decision-making

Scientific reports on topics such as climate change, bacterial resistance or food production are examples of how science can guide informed policy decisions.

The Science4Policy initiative  of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) is an example of this. It is a collection of thematic reports that present solid evidence, generated in its research centers, on relevant social problems. Each report includes:

• An introduction to the problem and its social impact.
• Information on the research carried out by the CSIC on the subject.
• Conclusions and recommendations for public policies.

Its main objective is to transform scientific knowledge into accessible contributions for non-specialized audiences, thus facilitating informed decisions by public authorities.

• Public innovation laboratories, a space for science-based creativity

Public innovation labs or GovLabs are experimental spaces that allow public employees, scientists, experts in various fields and citizens to co-create policies, prototype solutions and learn iteratively.

An example is the Public Innovation Laboratory (LIP) promoted by the National Institute of Public Administration (INAP), where pilots have been carried out  on the use of technologies to promote the new generation of jobs, intermunicipal collaboration to share talent or the decentralization of selective tests. In addition, they have an Innovation Resources Catalogue where tools with open licences launched by various organisations are compiled and can be used to support public entrepreneurs.

It is also worth highlighting the Spanish Network for Public Innovation and Scientific Transfer, promoted by the NovaGob Foundation. It is a collaborative space that brings together professionals, public administrations, universities and third sector organisations with the aim of transforming public management in Spain. Through working groups and repositories of good practices, it promotes the use of artificial intelligence, administrative simplification and the improvement of citizen service.

We also find public innovation laboratories at the regional level, such as Govtechlab Madrid, a project led by the madri+d Foundation for Knowledge that connects startups and digital SMEs with public institutions to solve real challenges. During the 2023/2024 academic year, they launched 9 pilots, for example, to collect and analyse the opinion of citizens to make better decisions in the Alcobendas City Council, unify the collection and management of data in the registrations of the activities of the Youth Area of the Boadilla del Monte City Council or provide truthful and updated information digitally on the commercial fabric of Mostoles.

The role of governments and public institutions

Innovation in public policy can be driven by a diversity of actors: public administrations open to change, universities and research centres,  civic startups and technology companies, civil society organisations or committed citizens.

The European Commission, for example, plays a key role in strengthening the science-for-policy ecosystem in Europe, promoting the effective use of scientific knowledge in decision-making at all levels: European, national, regional and local. Through programmes such as Horizon Europe and the European Research Area Policy Agenda 2025-2027, actions are promoted to develop capacities, share good practices and align research with societal needs.

In Spain we also find actions such as the recent call for funding from the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and the National Office of Scientific Advice, whose objective is to promote:

• Research projects that generate new scientific evidence applicable to the design of public policies (Category A).
• Scientific advice and knowledge transfer activities between researchers and public officials (Category B).

Projects can receive up to €100,000 (Category A) or €25,000 (Category B), covering up to 90% of the total cost. Research organizations, universities, health entities, technology centers, R+D centers and other actors that promote the transfer of R+D can participate. The deadline to apply for the aid ends on September 17, 2025. For more information, you should visit the rules of the call or attend some training sessions that are being held.

Conclusion

In a world where social, economic and environmental challenges are increasingly complex, we need new ways of thinking and acting from public institutions. For this reason, R+P is not a fad, it is a necessity that allows us to move from "we think it works" to "we know it works", promoting a more adaptive, agile and effective policy.

Once again, the Junta de Castilla y León has launched its open data contest to reward the innovative use of public information.

In this post, we summarize the details to participate in the IX edition of this event, which is an opportunity for both professionals and students, creative people or multidisciplinary teams who wish to give visibility to their talent through the reuse of public data.

What does the competition consist of?

The aim of the competition is to recognize projects that use open datasets from the Junta de Castilla y León. These datasets can be combined, if the participants wish, with other public or private sources, at any level of administration.

Projects can be submitted in four categories:

• Ideas category: aimed at people or teams who want to submit a proposal to create a service, studio, application, website or any other type of development. The project does not need to be completed; the important thing is that the idea is original, viable and has a potential positive impact.
• Products and services category: designed for projects already developed and accessible to citizens, such as online services, mobile applications or websites. All developments must be available via a public URL. This category includes a specific award for students enrolled in official education during the 2024/2025 or 2025/2026 school years.
• Didactic resource category: aimed at educational projects that use open data as a support tool in the classroom. The aim is to promote innovative teaching through Creative Commons licensed resources, which can be shared and reused by teachers and students.
• Data journalism category: it will reward journalistic works published or updated in a relevant way, in written or audiovisual format, that make use of open data to inform, contextualize or analyze topics of interest to citizens. The journalistic pieces must have been published in a printed or digital media since September 24, 2024, the day following the end date of the deadline for submission of candidacies of the immediately preceding call for awards.

In all categories, it is essential that at least one dataset from the open data portal of the Junta de Castilla y León is used. This platform has hundreds of datasets on different sectors such as the environment, economy, society, public administration, culture, education, etc. that can be used as a basis to develop useful, informative and transformative ideas.

Who can participate?

The competition is open to any natural or legal person, who can be presented individually or in a group. In addition, you can submit more than one application even for different categories. Although the same project may not receive more than one award, this flexibility allows the same idea to be explored from different approaches: educational, journalistic, technical or conceptual.

What prizes are awarded?

The 2025 edition of the contest includes prizes with a financial endowment, accrediting diploma and institutional dissemination through the open data portal and other communication channels of the Board.

The distribution and amount of the prizes by category is:

• Ideas category
  
  • First prize: €1,500
  • Second prize: €500
• Category products & services
  
  • First prize: €2,500
  • Second prize: €1,500
  • Third prize: €500
  • Special Student Prize: €1,500
• Category teaching resource
  
  • First prize: €1,500
• Data journalism category
  
  • First prize: €1,500
  • Second prize: €1,000

Under what criteria are the prizes awarded? The jury will assess the candidatures considering different evaluation criteria, as set out in the rules and the order of call, including their originality, social utility, technical quality, feasibility, impact, economic value and degree of innovation.

How to participate?

As in other editions, candidacies can be submitted in two ways:

• In person, at the General Registry of the Ministry of the Presidency, at the registry assistance offices of the Junta de Castilla y León or at the places established in article 16.4 of Law 39/2015.
• Electronics, through the electronic headquarters of the Junta de Castilla y León

Each application must include:

• Identification data of the author(s).
• Title of the project.
• Category or categories to which it is submitted.
• An explanatory report of the project, with a maximum length of 1,000 words, providing all the information that can be assessed by the jury according to the established scale.
• In the case of submitting an application to the Products and Services category, the URL to access the project will be specified

The deadline to submit proposals is September 22, 2025

With this contest, the Junta de Castilla y León reaffirms its commitment to the open data policy and the culture of reuse. The competition not only recognizes the creativity, innovation and usefulness of the projects presented, but also contributes to disseminating the transformative potential of open data in areas such as education, journalism, technology or social entrepreneurship.

In previous editions, solutions to improve mobility, interactive maps on forest fires, tools for the analysis of public expenditure or educational resources on the rural environment, among many other examples, have been awarded. You can read more about last year's winning proposals and others on our website. In addition, all these projects can be consulted in the history of winners available on the community's open data portal.

We encourage you to participate in the contest and get the most out of open data in Castilla y León!

Madrid City Council has launched an initiative to demonstrate the potential of open data: the first edition of the Open Data Reuse Awards 2025. With a total budget of 15,000 euros, this competition seeks to promote the reuse of the data shared by the council on its open data portal, demonstrating that they can be a driver of social innovation and citizen participation.

The challenge is clear: to turn data into useful, original and impactful ideas. If you think you can do it, below, we summarize the information you must consider to compete.

Who can participate?

The competition is open to practically everyone: from individuals to companies or groups of any kind. The only condition is to submit a project carried out between September 10, 2022 and September 9, 2025 and that uses at least one dataset  from the Madrid City Council's open data portal as a base. Data from other public and private sources can also be used, as long as the  Madrid City Council datasets are a key part of the project.

Of course, projects that have already been awarded, contracted or financed by the City Council itself are not accepted, nor are works submitted after the deadline or without the required documentation.

What projects can be submitted?

There are four main areas in which you can participate:

• Web services and applications: refers to projects that provide services, studios, web applications, or mobile apps.
• Studies, research and ideas: refers to projects of exploration, analysis or description of ideas aimed at the creation of services, studies, visualizations, web applications or mobile apps. Bachelor's and master's degree final university projects can also participate in this category.
• Proposals to improve the quality of the open data portal: includes projects, services, applications or initiatives that contribute to boosting the quality of the datasets published on the Madrid City Council's open data portal.
• Data visualizations: you can participate in this category with various content, such as maps, graphs, tables, 3D models, digital art, web applications and animations. Representations can be static, such as infographics, posters, or figures in publications, or dynamic, including videos, interactive dashboards, and stories.

What are the prizes?

For each category, two prizes for different economic endowments are awarded:

Figure 1. Prize money for the first edition of the 2025 Open Data Reuse Awards. Source: Madrid City Council.

Beyond the economic prize, this call is a great opportunity to give visibility to ideas that take advantage of the transparency and potential of open data. In addition, if the proposal improves public services, solves a real problem or helps to better understand the city, it will have great value that goes far beyond recognition.

How are projects valued?

A jury will evaluate each project by assigning a maximum score of 50 points, which will take into account aspects such as originality, social benefit, technical quality, accessibility, ease of use, or even design, in the case of visualizations. If deemed necessary, the jury may request further information submitted to the participants.

The two projects with the highest score will win, although to be considered, the proposals must reach at least 25 points out of a possible 50. If none of them meets this requirement, the category will be declared void.

The jury will be made up of representatives from different areas of the City Council, with experience in innovation, transparency, technology and data. A representative of ASEDIE (Multisectoral Association of Information), the association that promotes the reuse and distribution of information in Spain, will also participate.

How do I participate?

The deadline to register is September 9, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. In the case of natural people, the application can be submitted:

• Online through the City Council's Electronic Office. This procedure requires identification and electronic signature.
• In person at municipal service offices.

In the case of legal people, they may only submit their candidacy electronically.

In any case, the official form must be completed and accompanied by a report explaining the project, its operation, its benefits, the use of the data, and if possible, including screenshots, links or prototypes.

You can see the complete rules here.

Valencia City Council has launched a call to reward projects that promote the culture of open information and open data in the city. Specifically, it seeks to promote the culture of government transparency and good governance through the reuse of open data.

If you are thinking of participating, here are some of the keys you should take into account (although do not forget to read the complete rules of the call for more information).

What do the prizes consist of?

The awards consist of a single category that encompasses projects that demonstrate the potential of the reuse of public open data , and may also include private data. Specifically, applications, technological solutions, services, works, etc. may be presented. that use public data from the city of Valencia to benefit the community.

The requirements that must be met are the following:

• To present an innovative character and highlight its impact on improving the lives of people and their environment.
• Be current  and be implemented in general, in the territorial area of the municipality of Valencia. The final projects of bachelor's, master's or doctoral theses can have been carried out at any university, but it is mandatory that they refer to and base their research on areas of transparency in the city of Valencia.
• Use inclusive and non-sexist language.
• Be written in Spanish or Valencian.
• Have a single author, which may be a legal entity or association.
• Be written in accordance with the terms and conditions of the call, and articles previously published in journals may not participate.
• Not have received a subsidy from the Valencia City Council for the same purpose.

Who can participate?

The contest is aimed at audiences from wide sectors: students, entrepreneurs, developers, design professionals, journalists or any citizen with an interest in open data.

Both natural and legal persons from the university field, the private sector, public entities and civil society can participate, provided that they have developed the project in the municipality of Valencia.

What is valued and what do the prizes consist of?

The projects received will be evaluated by a jury that will take into account the following aspects:

• Originality and degree of innovation.
• Public value and social and urban impact.
• Viability and sustainability.
• Collaborative nature.

The jury will choose three winning projects, which will receive a diploma and a financial prize consisting of:

• First prize: 5,000 euros.
• Second prize: 3,000 euros.
• Third prize: 2,000 euros.

In addition, the City Council will disseminate and publicize the projects that have been recognized in this call, which will be a loudspeaker to gain visibility and recognition.

The awards will be presented at a public event in person or virtually in the city of Valencia, to which all participants will be invited. An opportunity to engage in conversation with other citizens and professionals interested in the subject.

How can I participate?

The deadline for submitting projects is 7 July 2025. The application can be made in two ways:

• In person, presenting the standard form and Annex 1 of the declaration of responsibility.
• Digitally through the Electronic Office, where an online application form (which includes the responsible declaration) will be completed.

In both cases, in addition, an explanatory report of the project will have to be presented. This document will contain the description of the project, its objectives, the actions developed and the results obtained, detailed in a maximum of 20 pages. It is also necessary to review the additional documentation indicated in the rules, necessary according to the nature of the participant (natural person, legal entity, associations, etc.).

For those participants who have doubts, the email address sctransparencia@valencia.es has been enabled. You can also ask any questions on the 962081741 and 962085203 phones.

You can see the complete rules at this link.

Imagine you want to know how many terraces there are in your neighbourhood, how the pollen levels in the air you breathe every day are evolving or whether recycling in your city is working well. All this information exists in your municipality's databases, but it sits in spreadsheets and technical documents that only experts know how to interpret.

This is where open data visualisation initiativescome in: they transform those seemingly cold numbers into stories that anyone can understand at a glance.  A colourful graph showing the evolution of traffic on your street, an interactive map showing the green areas of your city, or an infographic explaining how the municipal budget is spent. These tools make public information accessible, useful and, moreover, comprehensible to all citizens.

Moreover, the advantages of this type of solution are not only for the citizens, but also benefit the Administration that carries out the exercise, because it allows:

• Detect and correct data errors.
• Add new sets to the portal.
• Reduce the number of questions from citizens.
• Generate more trust on the part of society.

Therefore, visualising open data brings government closer to citizens, facilitates informed decision-making, helps public administrations to improve their open data offer and creates a more participatory society where we can all better understand how the public sector works. In this post, we present some examples of open data visualisation initiatives in regional and municipal open data portals.

Visualiza Madrid: bringing data closer to the public

Madrid City Council's open data portal has developed the initiative "Visualiza Madrid", a project born with the specific objective of making open data and its potential reach the general public , transcending specialised technical profiles. As Ascensión Hidalgo Bellota, Deputy Director General for Transparency of Madrid City Council, explained during the IV National Meeting on Open Data, "this initiative responds to the need to democratise access to public information".

Visualiza Madrid currently has 29 visualisations that cover different topics of interest to citizens, from information on hotel and restaurant terraces to waste management and urban traffic analysis. This thematic diversity demonstrates the versatility of visualisations as a tool for communicating information from very diverse sectors of public administration.

 In addition, the initiative has received external recognition this year through the Audaz 2,025 Awards, an initiative of the Spanish chapter of the Open Government Academic Network (RAGA Spain).The initiative has also received external recognition through the Audaz 2,025 Awards.

Castilla y León: comprehensive analysis of regional data

 The Junta de Castilla y León has also developed a portal specialised in analysis and visualisations that stands out for its comprehensive approach to the presentation of regional data. Its visualisation platform offers a systematic approach to the analysis of regional information, allowing users to explore different dimensions of the reality of Castilla y Leónthrough interactive and dynamic tools.

This initiative allows complex information to be presented in a structured and understandable way, facilitating both academic analysis and citizen use of the data. The platform integrates different sources of regional information, creating a coherent ecosystem of visualisations that provides a panoramic view of different aspects of regional management. Among the topics it offers are data on tourism, the labour market and budget execution. All the visualisations are made with open data sets from the regional portal of Castilla y León .

The Castilla y León approach demonstrates how visualisations can serve as a tool for territorial analysis, providing valuable insights on economic, social and demographic dynamics that are fundamental for the planning and evaluation of regional public policies.

Canary Islands: technological integration with interactive widgets .

On the other hand, the Government of the Canary Islands has opted for an innovative strategy through the implementation of widgets that allow the integration of open data visualisations of the Instituto Canario de Estadística (ISTAC) in different platforms and contexts. This technological approach represents a qualitative leap in the distribution and reuse of public data visualisations.

The widgets developed by the Canary Islands make it easier for third parties to embed official visualisations in their own applications, websites or analyses, exponentially expanding the scope and usefulness of Canary Islands open data. This strategy not only multiplies the points of access to public information, but also fosters the creation of a collaborative ecosystem where different actors can benefit from and contribute to the value of open data.

The Canarian initiative illustrates how technology can be used to create scalable and flexible solutions that maximise the impact of investments in open data visualisation, establishing a replicable model for other administrations seeking to amplify the reach of their transparency initiatives.

Lessons learned and best practices

By way of example, the cases analysed reveal common patterns that can serve as a guide for future initiatives. The orientation towards the general public, beyond specialised technical users, emerges as an opportunity factor for the success of these platforms. To maintain the interest and relevance of the visualisations, it is important to offer thematic diversity and to update the data regularly.

Technological integration and interoperability, as demonstrated in the case of the Canary Islands, open up new possibilities to maximise the impact of public investments in data visualisation. Likewise, external recognition and participation in professional networks, as evidenced in the case of Madrid, contribute to continuous improvement and the exchange of best practices between administrations.

In general terms, open data visualisation initiatives represent a very valuable opportunity in the transparency and open government strategy of Spanish public administrations. The cases of Madrid, Castilla y León, as well as the Canary Islands, are examples of the enormous potential for transforming public data into tools for citizen empowerment and improved public management.

The success of these initiatives lies in their ability to connect government information with the real needs of citizens, creating bridges of understanding that strengthen the relationship between administration and society. As these experiences mature and consolidate, it will be crucial to keep the focus on the usability, accessibility and relevance of visualisations, ensuring that open data truly delivers on its promise to contribute to a more informed, participatory and democratic society.

Open data visualisation is not just a technical issue, but a strategic opportunity to redefine public communication and strengthen the foundations of a truly open and transparent administration.

The international open government community is preparing for the 9th Global Summit of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), which will take place in Vitoria-Gasteiz next October.. For three days, government representatives, civil society leaders and policy makers from around the world will exchange experiences, best practices and progress on open government initiatives. The choice of Vitoria-Gasteiz as host city, a medium-sized city but a symbol of sustainability and good urban management, also reflects the commitment of the outgoing presidency of the Spanish Government in the OGP to the integration of open government at all levels of administration, from the municipal and regional to the state level.

A crucial meeting for the open government ecosystem

The OGP 2025 Global Summit comes at a time of a complex global context. Democracy today faces several relevant threats,from disinformation to increasing authoritarianism. This is why the Vitoria-Gasteiz Summit is emerging as a potential global catalyst to revitalise the momentum of open government as a response to these challenges. It is an opportunity to bring the international community together and demonstrate once again that transparency, participation and collaboration remain effective tools for strengthening democracies.

Since its founding in 2011, the OGP has grown rapidly and established itself as a wide-ranging international alliance. It currently brings together some 75 countries and 150 local jurisdictions (representing more than 2 billion people), along with hundreds of civil society organisations, and accumulated more than 4,500 reform commitments embodied in some 300 national action plans during its first decade.

A global summit bringing together so many actors offers an unparalleled forum for sharing learnings, assessing advances and announcing new commitments.

OGP in context: 14 years of open government

After nearly 15 years of existence, the OGP can boast some significant achievements. Since its creation, many countries have adopted access to information laws, open data portals and transparency policies that did not exist before. Innovative initiatives such as citizen participation platforms and collaborative accountability mechanisms have also been implemented. Moreover, the Alliance incorporates an additional accountability component through the independent review mechanism (IRM) that publicly assesses the implementation of these commitments.

However, it is not all victories, as several civil society actors have also been pointing out some limitations and inconsistencies in the current OGP. Thus, according to OGP's own data and its IRM, there is an implementation gap in the commitments made, with multiple projects never getting off the ground, either due to lack of resources or political will. Another important warning sign comes from the deterioration of the democratic environment in some countries, with some regression on critical issues such as the protection of civic space. This also highlights a broader problem: high-level political commitment to open government is not always sustained, and without active leadership, OGP loses relevance.

The balance of the Spanish Presidency of the OGP

Spain holds the OGP co-presidency from October 2024 until the end of September 2025, shared with civil society and academic representative Cielo Magno (from the Philippines). This leadership position is also a unique opportunity to influence the Alliance's priorities and messages at this key moment. From the outset, the Spanish government identified three strategic areas for its co-presidency:

• Putting the citizen at the centre of decision-making.
• Strengthen democracies to make them more resilient.
• Protecting citizens' rights in the digital transformation.

These axes align with some of the current global concerns cited above: the crisis of confidence in institutions, the threat of authoritarianism and the new risks to rights in the digital environment. Spain also declared its intention to promote innovative ideas, taking advantage of technologies such as open data and artificial intelligence as tools to successfully carry out the double transition, green and digital.

Internally, Spain has launched the process called "Consensus for an Open Administration", which brings together civil servants, experts and citizens in 18 working groups to rethink the functioning of government through innovative methodologies and citizen participation. This effort, which is being developed in the Laboratory for Public Innovation (LIP) of the National Institute of Public Administration (INAP), as well as in the HAZLAB laboratory for innovation in citizen participation, seeks to present concrete proposals to improve trust in institutions through openness and collaboration.

The government is also preparing its V Open Government Action Plan (2025-2029), whose public consultation phase received more than 400 proposals from citizens and organisations, multiplying participation by 2.5 times compared to the previous Plan.

The challenge of open government: reforms, scope and obstacles

In response to the above challenges, the OGP has recently launched the Open government challenge. It is an initiative that seeks to channel reforming energies into ten priority areas, seeking common and significant progress in the following areas over the next five years:

• Access to information (transparency and right to know).
• Anti-corruption (public integrity and anti-corruption).
• Civic space (protection of freedoms of association, expression, assembly).
• Climate and environment (transparent and participatory climate governance).
• Digital governance (ethical and open use of data and technologies).
• Fiscal openness (open budgets, transparent procurement and spending).
• Gender and inclusion (gender equality, inclusion of vulnerable groups).
• Justice (open justice, access to justice and transparent judicial systems).
• Freedom of media (protection of independent journalism and truthful reporting).
• Public participation (effective mechanisms for citizen participation in decisions).

Each thematic area is accompanied by a guide with examples of reforms, inspiring use cases and ideas for specific commitments that countries can adopt. The ambition is for these ten areas to concentrate global efforts, encouraging collaboration and avoiding dispersion. The OGP will regularly highlight the most ambitious reforms in each field in order to serve as an example and inspiration for others. In fact, it will also be in Vitoria-Gasteiz where the most promising and impactful reforms submitted by countries to the challenge will be initially recognised through the Open Gov Challenge Awards, which will reward environment, innovation, sustainability and participation in each of the above-mentioned areas.

Digital rights, open data and ethics

One of the most innovative strategic dimensions of the OGP agenda, and one on which the Spanish presidency has also placed special emphasis, is the intersection between open government and digital transformation. In the midst of 2025, it is clear that government openness is no longer limited to transparency portals, but encompasses issues such as ethics in the use of algorithms, protection of Internet rights, responsible data management and citizen participation supported by new technologies. Digital ethics thus ceases to be a niche issue and becomes part of the mainstream open government agenda.

On the one hand, the expansion of artificial intelligence and automated decision-making in the public sector generates both promise and concern. Promises, because used well these tools can improve the efficiency and personalisation of public services. Concern, because they introduce risks of opacity, discriminatory risks and threats to privacy. This is where open government can add value through proactive measures to ensure digital inclusion and prevent algorithmic discrimination. Some of the suggested model reforms in this area include:

• Registers of algorithms so that citizens know what automated systems their government is using and with what data).
• Human rights impact assessments before deploying AI in the administration.
• Creation of specific complaints mechanisms when an automated decision causes harm.
• Establishment of independent AI oversight bodies.

On the other hand, digital citizens' rights have become increasingly important. Spain, for example, enacted a Charter of Digital Rights that recognises principles such as digital identity, personal data protection, net neutrality and online safety for vulnerable groups. This charter shows the way in which governments can commit to extending classic human rights to the digital realm, and it is to be hoped that other countries will also make commitments along the same lines.

Other critical issues with the increasing digitisation of governments are privacy and data protection. This is where the notion of data governance comes in, which implies clear rules on what data a government opens up, how it anonymises it, how it allows its re-use and how it protects individuals. The opening of data also remains a core component of the agenda, but is now viewed through a more mature lens. After years of open data portals, it is recognised that it is not enough to publish new datasets, but also to ensure their quality, relevance and effective use.

In short, digital rights, data and AI governance, digital ethics and open data constitute a new transversal axis that is gaining increasing prominence in the OGP, partly also thanks to the impulse given by the Spanish presidency. They represent the adaptation of open government to the challenges of the 21st century. Without addressing this digital dimension, the open government ecosystem would risk falling behind technological developments and the other pillars of open government could be undermined by algorithmic "black boxes".

Conclusions: a look towards Vitoria-Gasteiz 2025

The upcoming OGP Global Summit in Vitoria-Gasteiz is therefore seen as a new turning point for the open government movement. Its global relevance lies in the need to reaffirm values and concrete actions of open government in a context where democracy faces serious challenges. We have seen that the OGP comes to this new milestone with several strengths, but also with unfinished business and some uncomfortable questions:

Should tenure criteria be tightened for governments that fail to meet their commitments? How to finance the implementation of commitments in low-capacity countries? Is the real impact on people's daily lives being adequately measured?

The Spanish presidency, for its part, has brought enthusiasm and fresh ideas, with a particular emphasis on citizenship and digitalisation, but also with the ultimate challenge of ensuring that these new principles are translated into concrete actions and results at the global level. The presence of 2,000 international delegates will provide an opportunity to build new coalitions to enable such change. If governments and civil society can agree on ambitious new goals in the digital sphere, OGP will once again have proven its worth as a democratic innovation driver.

The best governments are those that open their doors, their data and their processes to citizens. If this meeting serves to strengthen this conviction and translate it into concrete reforms, it will undoubtedly be the best possible outcome.

Content prepared by Carlos Iglesias, Open data Researcher and consultant, World Wide Web Foundation. The contents and views reflected in this publication are the sole responsibility of the author.

Once again, Spain joins the celebration of Open Government Week (Open Gov Week), an international initiative promoted by the Open Government Partnership (OGP) that promotes the fundamental principles of amodern, citizen-friendlyadministration.

This edition, which will take place from 19 to 25 May 2025, brings together public administrations from around the world with the aim of promoting the values of open government: transparency, accountability, citizen participation and institutional integrity.  To achieve these objectives, open data is a key element, as access to and re-use of public information is the foundation of open government..

Since Spain joined this alliance in 2011, it has demonstrated a firm commitment to the principles of open governance: it has been recognised on multiple occasions for its active role in the organisation of activities, being one of the States that promotes the most events during this week at an international level.  In addition, this year our country holds the co-presidency of the Steering Committee and on 7, 8 and 9 October the IX Open Government Partnership Global Summitwill be held in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

In this post, we look at the agenda of events organised in Spain as part of Open Government Week. Among the hundreds of activities that will be held, we have focused on those related to access to information, open data and technological innovation.

What is Open Government Week?

Through workshops, information days, guided tours, talks and presentations, this action seeks to bring the workings of the institutions closer to society as a whole, foster understanding of public services and promote direct citizen participation.

 The programming will include a diverse range of events, including:

• Institutional advertising campaign.
• Hackathon and innovation competitions.
• Debates and round tables.
• OPEN DAYS
• Launch of virtual content.
• Seminars and workshops.
• Participatory processes and citizen consultations.

Featured events in the 2025 edition

During this edition, numerous activities have been scheduled throughout the territory, focusing on the presentation of key projects and initiatives of the Administration. Below are some representative examples of the spirit of the Week, arranged by organising bodies:

• Ministry of Finance:
  
  • Online presentation of the Central Treasury Archive content search portal (Monday 19 at 12.00h): through an online conference, access to the portal, the search modalities and the open accessible content it offers will be explained.. Some of the most outstanding online documents from the archive's collection will also be presented. Finally, other actions of the Archive relating to the Ministry's Document Management Policy will be disseminated for your information.
• Ministry of Culture:
  
  • Spain is Culture (always available):  The Ministry of Culture provides the public with a large amount of useful information accessible from the Spain is Culture portal. On the occasion of Open Government Week, they wanted to highlight this.

• National Institute of Public Administration:
  
  • Stories of public innovation" conference (Tuesday 20 May): a day to discover how innovation is transforming the Administration. It will be possible to learn about the work of INAP's Public Innovation Laboratory (LIP) and HazLab, a citizen participation laboratory, together with other projects that promote change from different administrations to build a more open, collaborative and closer Administration. Sign up here.

• Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID):
  
  • Workshop "Cooperation: a team effort" (Tuesday 20, 11:30 a.m.):  through a cloud challenge, participants are invited to reflect on leadership, cooperation and teamwork, fundamental values in the development projects led by AECID. There are 20 places available, register here.

• Government of Navarre:

• Café with data (Monday 19):  Training session on data quality and the benefits of metadata for publication in portals.

• Diputació de Barcelona:
  
  • Workshop online "Where is the border between transparency and data protection?" (Monday 19 at 09.30h): the webinar will be given by Carles San José, consultant and trainer for the public sector in matters of transparency, data protection and administrative procedure in general. Entry:
    • Public employee.
    • General registration.
  • Webinar "I can't make a living! Be transparent or die trying" (Monday 19 at 11.30h): aimed at public staff, this is a virtual workshop on the importance of opening up data in administrations.
    • Public employee.
    • General registration.
  • Workshop on data spaces: what they are and how to make the most of them (Thursday 22nd at 10.00h):
    • Public employee.
    • General registration.
  • Webinar "Open data and mobility: take advantage of the use of Big data" (Thursday 22nd at 12.00h): how to take advantage of the mobility data that the Ministry of Transport makes available to the public for the analysis of road flows throughout the country.
    • Public employee.
    • General registration.

• Online workshop "Master AI: become a prompts specialist" (Friday 23rd at 09.30h): this webinar is aimed at discovering how to communicate with generative AI tools to obtain more accurate results.
  • Public employee.
  • General registration.
• Webinar "Public open source models of AI" (Friday 23 at 11.30h): this online seminar will present ALIA and its precedent AINA, as well as their uses.. Sign up!
  • Public employee.
  • General registration.

• Madrid City Council: It organises a series of activities that highlight the use of open data in different sectors such as mobility or urban safety.
  • Madrid Calle 30 (Tuesday 20, 09:30h): visit to the M-30 tunnels and its control centre. Attendees will learn about the datasets published on the M-30, how the information is managed and updated, and how citizens and the private sector can access, reuse and add value to this data.
  • Air quality and meteorological data (Tuesday 20, 13:00h): visit to an air measurement station and explanation of how environmental data are collected to help make urban policy decisions.
  • Municipal Police (Thursday 22nd, 09:30h): visit to the control centre, where incidents, operational coordination and public safety actions are managed.
  • Urban installations: lighting, tunnels and ornamental fountains (Friday 23rd): a sample of how the operation of essential urban services is managed in real time through the municipal control centre.
  • Game with data on social networks: Madrid City Council will share games and challenges on social networks related to the open data on its portal throughout Open Government Week.

An agenda with more than 400 events all over the country

These are just some of the events planned, but there are many more.  We encourage you to consult the full calendar of activities available during the Week on the Open Government portal and to share your experiences and proposals.

Open Government Week is not just an institutional showcase, but a meeting place where the Administration listens, explains and learns from citizens. The diversity of scheduled events - ranging from education to security, social inclusion to victim care - reflects the public sector's commitment to getting closer to the day-to-day realities of society.

Thanks to these initiatives, the bond of trust between public authorities and citizens is strengthened, favouring a more collaborative, fair and efficient public administration