Asiakastarina:
Kela and Fintraffic, both active users of the Open Data service (avoindata.fi), see a lot of potential for freely accessible information

The Open Data service developed by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency is a place where everybody can freely offer and utilise open, public data. Kela (Social Insurance Institution of Finland) uses the service to publish social security benefit data. The service users also include Fintraffic, a Finnish open data advocate and pioneer. Both organisations keep a close eye on the future and identify opportunities.

Since 2021, Kela has published data in the Open Data service developed and maintained by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. However, Kela has long traditions of sharing information. For many years, users have been able to produce reports based on Kelasto, Kela’s statistical database, which comprises the key statistics on the social security managed by Kela. Statistical information published as open data is machine-readable, which means that automatically updated applications can also be produced.  

Kela sees itself as a future information centre
whose data will benefit a large number of parties
and sectors in many different ways. 

“In 2023, most Finns received at least some Kela benefits. As a result, we accumulate comprehensive statistical data, which can be used for such purposes as societal decision-making, development of wellbeing services counties and for other purposes benefiting citizens,” explains Tua Aimola, open data product owner in Kela.

Thanks to these comprehensive data sets, Kela has a lot of data that is not available elsewhere. There is a great deal of demand for this data, and its volume in the Open Data service is constantly increasing. “We get a lot of questions about medicine-related benefits, for example,” Aimola says.

The open data sets published by Kela are made available in the Open Data service and on Kela’s Info Tray. In early spring, Kela published new data sets on the benefits granted to students and pensioners. Later this year, Kela plans to publish the first part of the data sets on rehabilitation and pharmaceutical benefits.

Significant data provider and future information centre

Data produced by a large operator such as Kela has significant value for Finland as a whole. Compiling research data and statistical information involves a lot of work. The advantage of open data is that the information can be accessed and used relatively quickly. Kela sees itself as a future information centre whose data will benefit a large number of parties and sectors in many different ways. 

In the long run, making comprehensive up-to-date
data freely available on the internet is a cost-effective way
to improve the quality of artificial intelligence models in
social security matters

– Senior Researcher Markus Kainu, Kela

When processing benefits, Kela also accumulates other information on social welfare and healthcare services. There is currently a lot of debate on such matters as the prices of medicines and private healthcare services. 

“There would certainly be demand for good open data on price developments in research, central government and wellbeing services counties,” says Markus Kainu, Senior Researcher working in Kela’s research unit. 
  
According to Kainu, in addition to experts, machine-readable data is also increasingly used by machines, and data plays a key role in the development of artificial intelligence models: 

“In the long run, making comprehensive up-to-date data freely available on the internet is a cost-effective way to improve the quality of artificial intelligence models in social security matters,” he explains.

Staying a pioneer in information sharing requires courage

According to Janne Lautanala, Chief Ecosystem and Technology Officer at Fintraffic, known as the Finnish and global pioneer of open data, opening up as much public data as possible for free use is a smart goal. To multiply the benefits, he would keep the services free of charge. 
 

Open data has the potential
to boost Finnish society to the tune
of millions and millions of euros.

- Chief Ecosystem and Technology Officer Janne Lautanala

“When both the software and the data have been produced by the state, there is no point in restricting access to the information. If the public sector were to charge for the use of the data, it would only add up to pennies. The more both are shared openly without any additional charge, the stronger the multiplier effects are. Open data has the potential to boost Finnish society to the tune of millions and millions of euros,” Lautanala says. 

“In addition to sharing open data, we must also promote shared practices and rules. This requires an ecosystem approach and a rulebook, of which the traffic data ecosystem is a good example,” Lautanala explains. 

Europe is moving towards a new data economy. With the data economy, the public sector can provide the economy with a stronger basis for expansion, provide companies with a better operating environment and boost their growth. In this process, Lautanala considers it important that systems and operating models are planned with impact in mind. The public sector has shown the way, and companies should learn from it.

With the data economy, the public sector can
provide the economy with a stronger basis
for expansion, provide companies with
a better operating environment and boost their growth.

“Until now, we have followed the principle that all data should be opened. But in fact, it is better to give open access to useful information, which is believed to have an impact. Unnecessary data becomes a nuisance that takes energy, resources and attention away from smart activities. The distributors should always think carefully how the data could be utilised,” Lautanala says.

According to Lautanala, companies should also consider whether opening up data should involve a more strategic approach.

“Companies often think that even the data that they could open with relatively small resources is extremely valuable. But this is usually not true. In general, it would be a good idea to grasp the opportunities of sharing data more boldly and think more broadly about the matter. Companies would benefit from sharing information at least on a sector-specific basis, according to the principles of a fair data economy, either for a fee or free of charge, in a form that is easily compatible. This would also maximise the benefits,” Lautanala sums up.