Logo of DoorCE project

Throughout Central Europe, public and private institutions collect data that should be publicly available. However, this public open data is often not easily accessible, and real-time updates are rare. The DoorCE project will change this situation by establishing local open data hubs, where partners will help institutions provide high-quality, dynamic data available to all citizens through innovative digital services. They will also support innovators, small businesses, and public authorities in effectively using and sharing data – all thanks to newly developed, user-friendly tools for digitization and data management.

Cooperation for a smarter Central Europe

The goal of the DoorCE project is to increase and equalize the development opportunities for digital services using Public Open Data (POD). This will be achieved through new strategies and tools that lower the entry barriers for the secure sharing of POD in real-time, especially in regions that are not yet advanced in offering such amenities. As a result, the innovative capacities (especially of SMEs) to develop new electronic applications in areas such as tourism, climate (environment), and smart cities will be significantly increased.

The tasks within the project are divided into three work areas: WP1 - development and transfer of strategies for opening and securing public data, WP2 - development of tools for public open data, and WP3 - conducting pilot case studies. The result of the team's work will be the creation of a new POD system consisting of three elements: Strategies for Opening and Securing Public Data, Tools for Public Open Data, and Open Data Hubs.

As explained by Prof. Michał Śmiałek, the strategy will include detailed guidelines for public institutions of various types and sizes. We will develop instructions, descriptions of best practices, and courses explaining the process of safely opening data by public institutions and in cooperation with external entities, especially SMEs. Additionally, we will include instructions on actions that will increase the use of POD, particularly by SMEs and other developers interested in creating innovative digital services. To develop the tools, the project team will extend existing tools with so-called plugin modules that will allow for the automatic generation of visual data representations into secure APIs and code to access these APIs from applications. This will eliminate the need for advanced programming and IT skills to create and maintain local data portals.

Open Data Hubs will be launched in several partner locations. They will be created in accordance with the strategy developed by the team and using the developed tools. They will provide all the innovative means for external entities, such as local public institutions or SMEs, to create their own data hubs or share their data through existing hubs. The data hubs will be created as part of two main pilots. In the first pilot, cities and regions will collaborate on developing data hub modules for sharing and using data related to tourism and climate. In the second pilot, the data hubs will be extended with modules for sharing dynamic and real-time data in various aspects of a smart city - adds Prof. Śmiałek.

DoorCE - project team

The project will conclude in November 2026. The budget allocated for its implementation is 2.34 million euros, 80% of which comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

For more information, visit the website of the project: https://www.interreg central.eu/projects/doorce/