Espoo to join international MyData Global organisation

28.4.2022 10.09

Espoo wants to be involved in building an ethically sustainable digital society and data economy. The so-called MyData principle offers new opportunities for this work. MyData refers to a human-centred way of managing and using personal data and such personal data that can be viewed and managed by the individual.

“For example, in city services, the MyData principle means that residents would have digital tools at their disposal for deciding whether to share data about themselves with different city services, another city or even a company,” says Project Manager Wilhelmiina Griep.

This increases the transparency of city activities and supports resident participation. When the MyData principle is implemented, residents will receive more information about the data that has been stored about them in the city systems and its purpose of use. Residents could, at their discretion, also allow the city to use the data outside the original purpose, for example in research and development of services.

“According to our resident survey, people are very interested in being able to authorise the use of their data for the common good. These kinds of activities require trust in the city as a data processor, and I think it is wonderful that our residents want to be involved in the development of services,” says Wilhelmiina.

By joining MyData Global, the organisation promoting the use of MyData on a global level, Espoo will receive support for the development and commissioning of the technological solutions and operating models required by the principle. At the same time, Espoo will demonstrate its support for the organisation’s activities and become part of an international network that enables peer learning.

MyData offers many opportunities for cities to develop services

Espoo has participated in the City as MyData Operator project funded by the Ministry of Finance in cooperation with Helsinki, Turku and Oulu in 2020–2021. As part of the project, Espoo carried out a survey in which more than 80 services were found, the effectiveness of which could be improved by utilising MyData. The lessons learnt from the project reinforce the idea that using MyData and analytics based on it, the city could offer more personalised services that meet the individual needs of clients.

From the perspective of vitality, the City of Espoo can create new business opportunities for companies by promoting the MyData principles. The promotion of the model, both in the city’s own operations and in cooperation with the city’s partners, will accelerate the development of platform-based solutions and the emergence of ecosystems that use data.

“The smoother flow of data across organisational boundaries will speed up service processes and facilitate cooperation between, for example, the city and the future wellbeing services county,” says Development Manager Piia Wollstén.

Many Finnish cities, companies and research institutes have already joined MyData Global. From among Espoo’s close partners, the cities of Helsinki and Tampere, Aalto University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, for example, belong to the organisation. In total, the organisation has more than 100 member organisations in over 50 countries. 

Read more on the MyData Global website mydata.org(external link, opens in a new window).

Additional information:

Wilhelmiina Griep, Project Manager for the
City as MyData Operator project
wilhelmiina.griep@espoo.fi