Open Knowledge Foundation

The Open Knowledge Foundation (OKF) is an international, non-profit organization that has been committed to promoting open knowledge and free content since its founding on May 20, 2004. Based in Cambridge, UK, and with a strong network in many countries, including Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the OKF works at the intersection of digital tools and a distributed network of communities and movements to serve the public interest.

The main mission of the OKF is to create a fair, sustainable, and open digital future by promoting open knowledge as a fundamental design principle. The goal is to create a world where open knowledge is embraced by every government, institution, and movement to ensure access to critical information that empowers people to solve the most pressing issues of our time[3].

• CKAN: A registration software used by many governments for their open data projects.
• OpenSpending: A platform that collects and visualizes public sector financial data.
• Where Does My Money Go: A service for the transparent representation of budget expenditures.
• OpenRegisters: A project that makes the commercial register available as open data to promote transparency and trust in the trading system[4].
• Code for Germany: An umbrella for local groups that make public data accessible and develop practical applications.

The OKF advocates for a variety of issues affecting the digital society, including:

• Freedom of Information: Promoting transparency and access to information.
• Open Data: Opening up data to promote social and economic activities and improve political participation[5].
• Open Cultural Heritage: Making cultural works and artifacts accessible.
• Open Science: Promoting openness in scientific research.
• Open Government: Promoting transparent and participatory government actions.

The OKF operates as an agile organization with an international network that brings people together to create a broader movement for openness. It builds partnerships with institutions and organizations to support them in adopting openness as technology, organizational models, and competency frameworks[3].

The German branch, the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany e.V., based in Berlin, has been committed to the dissemination and use of open knowledge since 2011. The OKFDE runs numerous projects in the areas of freedom of information, open data, civic tech, and digital education. A prominent project is the Transparency Ranking Germany, which evaluates the state of freedom of information in the federal states[2].

The Open Knowledge Foundation and its national chapters like OKFDE work tirelessly to shape an open, fair, and sustainable digital future where knowledge and data are accessible and usable for all.

• 1 - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Knowledge_Foundation
• 2 - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Knowledge_Foundation_Deutschland
• 3 - https://okfn.org/en/who-we-are/
• 4 - https://okfn.de/projekte/offeneregister/
• 5 - https://okfn.de/themen/open_data/