Research profile

María Elena López Reyes (Malena López Reyes) is a PhD fellow in the Open Data Ecosystems (ODECO) project. This initiative is part of the EU Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network and operates under document number H2020-MSCA-ITN-2020, grant agreement 955569. Malena's research in ODECO focuses on engaging local governments in the open data ecosystems.

Malena's interest in open government data stems from her previous research at the Delft University of Technology. While studying the care system for assisting women against violence in Guadalajara, Mexico, she found that a lack of data interoperability between institutions could prevent women from accessing justice.

In the ODECO project, she focuses on maximising local government open data availability and utilisation. She aims to understand the social use value from utilising local government open data and identify the dynamics that affect the value articulation from an open data ecosystem approach. This approach aims to support the assessment and implementation of strategies to engage local governments in the open data ecosystem.

Outside of her research, Malena is passionate about exploring how digital technology can enable kinder ways for communities to address social and environmental challenges collectively.