Sydney-based start-up, Data Republic, has won a $4.4 million, three-year NSW Government deal for the provision of a data marketplace through its Senate Platform.
Data Republic, which is backed by the likes of Westpac, Qantas and National Australia Bank, is a data exchange technology platform and marketplace provider.
Organisations can list on the company’s platform and exchange and collaborate on data projects in a secure environment.
Exchanges are conducted on The Open Data Marketplace, a central governance platform and secure marketplace for users to discover, request and govern data exchange projects with authorised parties.
The data marketplace is a core component of the state Government’s digital strategy, as announced by NSW Minister for Finance, Services and Property, Victor Dominello, earlier this year.
The state government unveiled its new digital strategy on 23 May, revealing the actions it plans to take in order to affect IT reforms and cultural change, and support the delivery of “next level, improved, user-centric services”.
Among the new initiatives announced was a new set of digital standards, aimed at ensuring that digital innovation and collaboration is rewarded, and that data insights are used to improve policy and service design, among other goals.
Existing legislation was also expected to be reviewed to support the release of and access to better quality data.
“The Data Republic Senate platform will provide access to a broad range of datasets in a single, searchable location whilst securely managing access to shared data," the NSW Government Chief Information and Digital Officer, Damon Rees, said.
“Data Republic is an impressive local company and this agreement is a great example of the NSW Government working with our ICT partners to foster innovation and growth.
“It’s fantastic to see services like these in our own backyard – proof that NSW can be a global leader,” he said.
According to Data Republic, while ‘open data’ can be accessed by anyone and is made available for free by a number of governments, ‘shared data’ needs a secure, governed environment.
This is where the start-up’s technology comes in. Data Republic’s Senate platform has been designed to meet state Government’s in terms of privacy, data confidentiality, data security and data governance.
“The Senate platform already has over 100,000 employees from participating enterprises, that can be covered under Data Republic’s legal framework, and we can now envisage that ecosystem of governed data sharing growing even further with involvement from multiple governments, companies, and social good organisations.” Data Republic co-founder and CEO, Paul McCarney, said.
“Recognising the importance of shared data is a big step in the right direction for NSW as data moves to become the world's most valuable resource," he said. "We hope this partnership will empower other governments and agencies to participate in similar data initiatives, facilitating better interoperability."
