Adaptive governance in open data ecosystems: experiences and insights on the role of sociotechnical arrangements

The accelerating development of open data infrastructure across the world brings economic and social promises but increasing complexities in coordinating large-scale open data ecosystem that involves citizens, communities, poli cy makers, institutions, and private actors. Following the formation of an open data ecosystem in Shanghai longitudinally (2015-2020), this paper delineates how adaptive governance is effective in addressing the initial void of data governance in the ecosystem, and the competing logics of data as a social resource over time. The case study highlights that adaptive governance in open data ecosystem undergoes continuous experimentations of governance form, which is largely shaped by the different views of data as a resource. Foregrounding the digital dimension of governance, this study also brings attention to the role of sociotechnical arrangements in shaping the form of adaptive governance by unfolding how actors in the ecosystem strategically use daily communication technologies as an experimental field for governance form.