FIREWARE Roadshow - Open Data for European Entrepreneurs 

Last Wednesday the conference Open Data for European Entrepreneurs was held in Pamplona gathering the FIWARE community. The event was organized by FINODEX accelerator that provides support services to European ICT industry building technological solutions re-using open data and making use of the open platform FIREWARE.

The roadshow was divided into different panels focussing on two main areas: FIWARE technology, a simple set of APIs that ease the development of smart applications in multiple vertical sectors, and open data entrepreneurship.

Based on both thematic lines, the fist panel offered to the assistants the opportunity to know real stories of entrepreneurs who, using the potential of open data, have developed innovative solutions such as the start-ups belonging to FINODEX Project. In fact, the three finalists of this program attended the event to share their experience with the public. 

Linkovate, first finalist, has developed a search engine that helps manufacturing and R&D equipment in companies to find technologies and partners. The second prize went to Xpressomics, who has also created a seeker but, in this case, of genetic information aimed at pharmaceutical industry and medical researchers. Lastly, Geezar and its Fruitwatcher was also present with a device that monitors the conditions of fruit in trucks to guarantee it reaches its destinations in perfect conditions.

Later, it was accelerators’ turn, companies that provide financial support and advice to entrepreneurs on their way to success and, after this round table, the expert from FIREWARE Foundation, Juanjo Hierro gave a talk as well as the Executive Officer at CDTI who underlined the role of public sector in technological innovation.

Moreover, lastly the conference was attended by representatives of Iniciativa Aporta -public sector programme to promote the re-use of open data in Spain- who presented the global open data meeting: the International Open Data Conference, held in Madrid by early October.  A new opportunity to know how open data can become the raw material for new products and services as those developed within FINODEX Project.