Find us on 
Taru Rastas
Senior Advisor, Finnish Ministry of Communications
Ms Taru Rastas serves as a deputy director of Internet Services Unit in the Ministry of Transport and Communications with responsibility for digital strategies, service development and open data. She was a chair of the working group preparing government resolution on public sector information in 2011 and open data in transport and communications in 2013. Also she has been a member of the jury for Apps4Finland competition for 2009-2013. Her background is in management consulting on intangibles as an entrepreneur as well as an academic researcher in non-financial reporting. Before this she worked as a ministerial adviser in the field of service sector industrial policy for the Ministry of Trade and Industry. She has a master’s degree in economics. She has authored books, articles and reviews on intellectual capital, open data, services and policy issues.
Talk Title:
Open data for transport and communications
Talk Abstract:
Finland has started to leverage its data reserves by providing free access to public sector information. The Ministry of Transport and Communications has worked with its agencies and authorities to prepare a roadmap to open data in the transport, weather and communication sectors. The presentation includes an overview of this work, from the first step of identifying data reserves through to the formation of an action plan and also the challenges faced along the way. Examples of open data applications are highlighted, as well as the role of co-creation to promote open data.
