Navigating the High-Value Dataset Landscape From Determination to Impact: Lessons From Taiwan's OGD Ecosystem

In today's data-driven world, the value of data lies in its ability to inform and drive decision-making and power AI models. As data democratization advances, Open Government Data (OGD) plays a key role, but the true value of open data hinges on its relevance to actual needs of the user (society, businesses etc.). This study explores Taiwan's approach to high-value datasets (HVD) -a critical subset of OGD- publication. Through qualitative interviews with government officials, scholars, and NGOs, we explore the strategic, technical, and application aspects of HVD publication. Study reveals that while Taiwan draws from international frameworks, it tailors its HVD themes to address national issues, such as environmental resilience and social challenges. However, gaps in data interoperability and limited engagement with end-users remain challenges, which are critical for maximizing the impact of HVDs. Practical challenges such as staff continuity, digital literacy, and systematic impact assessment further hinder progress. To address these challenges, we propose a HVD opening lifecycle roadmap that constitutes a strategic plan to support policymakers in navigating the process of opening HVD. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the HVD ecosystem, underscoring the importance of continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement in the HVD lifecycle.