ODIS (Open Data Informationsstelle Berlin) is a joint initiative of the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Enterprises and the Technologiestiftung Berlin, operational since May 2018. It serves as the central advisory and support unit for Berlin's public administration on all matters related to open data. ODIS assists the city's 12 district administrations and numerous Senate departments in preparing, publishing, and using open data through the Berlin Open Data Portal (daten.berlin.de), which is mandated by Berlin's open data legislation.
The project focuses on three core areas: competence building within the administration, knowledge transfer between departments and external stakeholders, and the development of practical open data applications and prototypes. ODIS has created several notable tools, including the Berliner Erfrischungskarte (a cooling map identifying urban heat relief spots), Kiezcolors (a neighbourhood land-use visualisation tool), and data quality toolkits that help administrative staff improve their datasets before publication.
ODIS operates within the broader context of Berlin's Gemeinsam Digital strategy and the city's Smart City Berlin framework, contributing to the digital transformation of urban governance. It also plays a networking role, connecting open data practitioners inside and outside the administration and fostering collaboration across departments. The initiative supports Berlin's 2023 Open Data Strategy, which set new objectives for expanding the city's open data ecosystem.
By bridging the gap between raw administrative data and usable public information, ODIS strengthens transparency, democratic participation, and innovation in Berlin's urban technology landscape.