ThingData: Unlocking Systemic Value in the Material Commons through Open Data as a Digital Public Good

This presentation will detail the groundwork and current development status of ThingData, a speculative prototype of distributed and open-source systems designed to address deep-seated asymmetries in the availability of data needed to support the reuse of goods and materials. ThingData is part of ongoing, commons-oriented research comprising technologies, methods, and approaches geared at promoting an inclusive and fair circular economy. Its origins are associated with a European Union-funded PhD research (2019-2022) which resulted in the thesis Generous cities - weaving commons-oriented systems for the reuse of excess materials in urban contexts. It is currently incubated by the Reuse City studio and the Global Innovation Gathering (GIG). ThingData is explicitly designed to function as a Digital Public Good contributing to SDGs 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 17 (Partnerships).