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ODI Leeds News - January 2014

Since we were announced as the ODI Node for Leeds and the City Region, we have been riding a wave of positive reaction, making new friends, building new connections and having really interesting conversations about what the ODI Node could be.

Our priority over the next few weeks is to have more of these conversations, make more contacts and listen to the stories from Leeds and the region about what Open Data can really achieve; we will play them back with what we know is happening across the Open Data community and particularly the collective intelligence of the ODI and its network of Nodes, to build an ODI for the City Region.

Many of the discussions have been how people, organisations and businesses can be involved and help build the Node — our plan is to mirror the ODI membership model and deliver the same things that the ODI currently does; so that means events, learning, training, start-ups, and providing access to the approaches and data management tools that are being developed. Obviously that's a lot to do, and at the moment we are in start-up mode so we'll be bootstrapping for a little while — that's code for we have no money!! however we will have a "Pop-Up" location when we formally launch in the new year and with the enthusiasm already shown, we'll be on a permanent footing by the middle of the year.

So our priorities for the New Year are:

  • Build a membership model alongside the ODI membership model that suits the context of Leeds and the City Region.
  • Create shared value from Open Data — using Civic partnerships — with a start-up and investment model for acceleration.
  • Events — very possibly in collaboration with the other ODI-Nodes in the North of England and organisations like Leeds Data Thing, The Bradford Public Data Platform, and the forthcoming data platform Leeds Data Mill.
  • Training — take the ODI training collateral and use it here in Yorkshire.

In our discussions so far it has been interesting to see how four areas of focus have emerged, which are;

  1. Energy and Environment — particularly in terms of energy saving — we know there are quick wins in terms of financial outcomes, fuel poverty and communities where we can have a real impact.
  2. Health and Care — Amplify the great work already happening with the Leeds Health Innovation Lab the NHS and the Health and Medical businesses in the region.
  3. Civic Innovation — helping our public institutions with Open-Data, Innovation and creating a shared value for our communities.

We will be using these to establish ourselves and expect many more to be built alongside these starting points.

Finally I'd like to say thanks to all who have offered their support over the last few weeks, and to say that, if you, your organisation or business would like to play a part in what the ODI could be in Leeds and the region please get in touch with us. The best way to contact us is through Twitter (@ODILeeds or @actuatedfutures) or by email to paul@actuatedfutures. You can also use the contact form below: