Table of contents
opendata.swiss: a digital library at Switzerland’s fingertips
We’ll start our exploration of opendata.swiss be discovering the origins of this idea, which came out of a simple but powerful demand: to make the hidden treasures concealed within government data accessible.
Imagine a land that is scattered with invisible chests. Each of these chests contains within it a unique treasure: figures on the economy, maps of the mountains, data about the climate, or education or public health tables. The problem is that these chests are locked, hidden within administrations’ digital caves, forgotten about or simply invisible to the great majority.
Then one day came the germ of an idea: what if we could make these treasures accessible? What if this knowledge could be available to everyone, free of charge and with no hassle, in a kind of enormous library. This initially simple idea soon turned into a shared vision – one that began to take root from 2009..
2009 – A vision of a more transparent administration
A vision took shape in the corridors of administrations and in innovation labs in 2009: to open up government data. This was motivated not by the joy of sharing, but with the aim of strengthening transparency, fostering innovation and handing power back to the public.
The movement began to snowball internationally. In 2010, the United States launched data.gov, under the leadership of Barack Obama. Open government data (OGD) became emblematic of modern democracy.
What about in Switzerland? Between 2010 and 2013, Switzerland watched, learned and shared. The term ‘open data’ began to circulate at conferences and in universities and other institutions. The Federal Council responded by launching the ‘Free access to government data in Switzerland’ project in 2011. Interest grew. It was time to act.
2013 – The pilot portal: a first step
Geneva, September 2013: At the Open Knowledge Conference, the Swiss Federal Archives launched a pilot portal – opendata.admin.ch – in conjunction with the FSO, swisstopo, MeteoSwiss and the Swiss National Library.
Over a period of six months, this portal for the first time compiled a selection of government datasets. Its objective was to test, learn and decide whether to potentially expand the portal into a national solution.
2014 – A national strategy: Switzerland takes the plunge
The results were conclusive, and the Federal Council adopted the OGD Strategy 2014–2018. Its aims included the creation of a permanent national portal that would be accessible, user-friendly and federative. The dream of a huge Swiss national digital library was taking shape.
2015 – The project becomes tangible: Switzerland takes action
Leadership of the ‘Free access to government data in Switzerland’ project was handed over to the Federal Archives. The groundwork was laid for a robust platform: the aim was not simply to prise open the chests, but to present the treasures for all to see, in well-ordered, well-explained fashion.
2016 – Birth of opendata.swiss: the library opens its doors
On 2 February 2016, a new portal came into being: opendata.swiss. The successor to opendata.admin.ch, it became Switzerland’s digital reading room. It was tasked with bringing Switzerland to the point where government data was published in an open, machine-readable format allowing it to be reused freely.
Every public administration – the Confederation, cantons and communes – would be able to publish its data there. Every member of the public – students, researchers, journalists, businesspeople – would be able to find the data there and use it freely.
2019 – The reins are passed on, the collection expands
The project came under the auspices of the OGD Office, which was created for this specific purpose and forms part of the Federal Statistical Office. The collection grew. The user base grew. We went from the experimental stage to the construction of a shared digital asset. Thousands of items of data were now available, enabling analysis to be carried out, innovations to be made, visualisations to be created, articles to be written and applications to be developed. Switzerland told its stories in new ways, using numbers, maps and graphs.
Today – An adventure that is still being written
opendata.swiss is evolving over time, embracing opportunities opened up by new developments such as artificial intelligence, public engagement, data journalism and digital literacy.
Above all, institutions and members of the public are able to use the data as the ink in the story they are jointly writing, preserving traces of the Switzerland of the past, better understanding its present and shaping its future together.
Find out more
- To gain a deeper understanding of this digital library, how it fits into Switzerland’s legal framework and how the ‘open data by default’ principle has been enshrined in Swiss law, discover its legal basis in the national strategy.
- The tale of how opendata.swiss came into being laid the groundwork, but who are the people and organisations keeping this portal going on a daily basis? Are you interested in the role of the OGD Office?
Open data by default: the integration of open data into Swiss law
The opendata.swiss journey is a virtuous circle involving vision, law and operations. Follow how we got where we are today through the legal framework that allowed the project to evolve.
In 2014, Switzerland opted decisively for open data when it adopted the country’s first national OGD strategy (‘Strategy 2014–2018’). This initiative sought to make government data accessible to all via a central infrastructure for their publication. opendata.swiss’s launch in 2016 represented a major step forward, providing a central point of access to Swiss government data. On the heels of these advances, a second strategy (‘Strategy 2019–2023’) was devised to take these initial efforts to the next level. This aim of this new phase was that data created and managed by administrations in the performance of their statutory tasks should be published for free, in real time and in an open, machine-readable format. Above all, it introduced the idea of enshrining OGD principles in law and of making free access to data the norm.
The challenges and proposed solutions
Despite the progress that had been made, the publication and use of OGD raised many questions, particularly on the legal, ethical and organisational fronts. There were numerous obstacles to overcome, from reluctance on the part of institutions to limited resources and concerns about confidentiality. In order to tackle these challenges and ensure that the efforts to date are continued, the OGD Office developed the OGD Masterplan 2024–2027. This plan was drawn up in collaboration with users, data providers and other experts, thanks to workshops that brought together representatives of federal offices, cantons, communes, state-related enterprises and civil society. The federal offices were formally consulted in a process lasting several weeks. These various exchanges highlighted some persistent weaknesses: not all government data is available in OGD form; the lack of a data and governance culture impedes the publication of OGD; the ‘open by default’ principle is still little-known; and the accessibility of data has room for improvement, as has experience sharing between users and data providers.
Anew law to guarantee the openness of data
These observations would form the basis for the masterplan, which has five main strategic principles: availability, quality of metadata, infrastructure, synergies with other fields and exchanges between OGD providers and users. Each of these has been translated into objectives, measures and indicators, aimed at helping the federal administrative units to familiarise themselves with the main principles of OGD. The masterplan also sets priorities for the federal administration, while striving to help Switzerland maintain its compatibility and remain competitive in the field of OGD at international level.
2024 marked a decisive turning point for open data in Switzerland with the entry into force of EMOTA, the federal act designed to steer the country’s digital transformation, and the simultaneous launch of the masterplan, which details its implementation. EMOTA enshrines in law the ‘open by default’ principle, by making openness of data the legal norm. According to Article 10, all data produced or collected by administrations must be accessible to members of the public, other than where a justified exception exists. EMOTA provides for a three-year transitional period to allow administrations to adapt and to fully comply with these new requirements.
Conclusion
Together, EMOTA and the OGD Masterplan 2024–2027 represent a vital step forward for data governance, cementing Switzerland’s place in the international open data ecosystem and in a digital future that is founded on transparency and innovation.
Find out more
- You have seen how the law has created a robust framework for opening up government data. But how does this legislation actually translate into the day-to-day management of opendata.swiss? Read about the history and aims of the OGD Office.
- The law is much needed, but it was the vision of a federative portal that kickstarted the whole process. To discover the origins of this project, explore the history of opendata.swiss as a digital library.
The OGD Office: the organisational linchpin of opendata.swiss
Behind every strategy and every law, there is a dedicated team that makes it happen. Find out about the people who are steering Switzerland’s open data adventure, day in, day out: the OGD Office, a small but highly motivated team performing a wide array of day-to-day activities and services. Here is its history:
The story began in 2019, when the opendata.swiss portal was transferred from the Swiss Federal Archives to the Federal Statistical Office and the Open Government Data Office was created. Consisting of two positions, it was tasked with implementing the strategy to open up government data for the whole Swiss public administration. In view of its cross-cutting role, the OGD Office was assigned to report to the Staff Division, bringing innovative approaches to the management of data and working with external partners, particularly via social media. The task is huge, and resources are finite.
Two years on from the transfer, in 2021, a major challenge was taking shape: resources were running out and the very existence of the office was being called into question. However, the General Secretariat of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) recognised the strategic importance of open data and reiterated its confidence in the office, giving it fresh momentum to support the implementation of the legal framework.
At the same time, the office looked to bring external resources on board. Thanks to its community, it succeeded in 2022 in entering into a partnership with the newly created Digital Public Services Switzerland, with the aim of fostering innovation and promoting collaboration between the cantons and the Confederation. This partnership allowed the team to add to its expertise and better support all its partners.
Following EMOTA’s entry into law in 2024, including Article 10 specifically dealing with open government data, the OGD Office now covers not just technical aspects, but also organisational and legal matters relating to the management of open government data, allowing it to respond in full to the needs of its users. As such, it has become an indisputable centre of competence for open government data within the Confederation.
Find out more
- You have had a glimpse behind the scenes and found out about the key players that have brought opendata.swiss to life. To understand how it came into being and the overarching vision behind the project, explore the history of this digital library, opendata.swiss.
- The OGD Office plays a crucial role, but it operates within a regulatory context. To gain a deeper understanding of the legal framework applying to its missions, read about the ‘open by default’ principle enshrined in law.
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