Open government data and the private sector: An empirical view on business models and value creation

The release of government data in an open format is broadly expected to generate innovation and economic value. However, despite the emerging public notoriety of this issue, literature is still scarce regarding the commercial application of open government data. The main goal of this study is to understand how firms use open government data to create value. More specifically, we aim to identify what types of use are currently in place and which industries are more prominent in exploiting open government data. Building on the analysis of a dataset of 178 firms that use open government data across various industries in the U.S. we find twelve different atomic models. Additionally, our findings suggest that the way in which open government is used to create value is contingent to the firms' activities. Supported by robust empirical data, we anticipate that our research produces practical insights to entrepreneurs as well as firm managers in deriving value from public datasets, and equip government officials with relevant evidence for advocacy and policy-making.