Europeana a 'treasure trove' says Commissioner

Neelie Kroes, Vice President for the European Commission and Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, gave a virtual address to the Open Knowledge Foundation's OKFest in Helsinki on 20 September. She highlighted the EC’s commitment to policies, projects and funding to support open data and open access, including public sector information, cultural data, science and research.

In the speech, Commissioner Kroes called Europeana a 'treasure trove of cultural heritage; and a creative hub.'

Referencing the recent announcement that data for more than 20 million cultural heritage items is now available for re-use through Europeana, she said, 'In the open and fertile environment that Europeana has now created, I hope we will see many more apps blooming. Just imagine the new applications for libraries, schools, or hotels: all powered by Europeana. So a big thank you to those cultural institutions that had the vision to take us there.'

Read a full transcription on the Open Knowledge Foundation's blog.