City of Vienna collaborates with EY to use blockchain to enhance security of government data

EY has revealed the details of its collaboration with the City of Vienna that seeks to leverage blockchain technology to simplify and automate administrative processes.

The company said that it has been working with the City of Vienna on public blockchains to validate and secure the city's Open Government Data (OGD), an initiative aimed at bringing greater transparency and cooperation with the population. The project is part of the city's digitalization initiative called "DigitalCity.Wien.”

Through OGD, the city provides the population with free access to public data and services that are not subject to data protection and are not classified as infrastructure-critical. These include data such as public transport routes, train schedules and surrounding communities' voting results. Vienna is using blockchain technology to simplify and automate the process, as well as improve the data security of such information.

Ulrike Huemer, CIO, city of Vienna, said that blockchain technology would allow government employees, residents or app developers to trace the changes made in the data.

"This project, realized with the support of EY, makes the city a pioneer in the implementation of blockchains in public administration and we are committed to an open and participatory city with reduced bureaucracy,” Huemer said.

According to the press release, the solution, one of the first in Europe, went live in December 2017. Since then, approximately 350 datasets have been secured on the blockchain networks.

"When we think about the most useful applications for blockchain technology, increasing transparency is near the top of the list. From a foundation of transparent, reliable information, we can build all kinds of value add, analytics and insights, but it all starts with trustworthy information. We're very proud to be working with the City of Vienna in this journey,” Paul Brody, EY Global Innovation Leader, Blockchain, said.