A major conference on the developments in technology and open ways of working is being held in Wellington from 22 to 23 August 2016.

The second Open Source, Open Society Conference will bring together global experts on government and technology innovation. They will look at issues such as applying the principles of open source technology to any organisation, open licensing and trademarks, privacy and cultural issues in open data and best practice with open data for research and policy management.

The Opensource.com organisation says the term "open source" refers to something people can modify and share because its design is publicly accessible.

"The term originated in the context of software development to designate a specific approach to creating computer programs. Today, however, "open source" designates a broader set of values—what we call 'the open source way.' Open source projects, products, or initiatives embrace and celebrate principles of open exchange, collaborative participation, rapid prototyping, transparency, meritocracy, and community-oriented development."

The Wellington conference will feature three workshop streams: Open tech toolbelt, Collaboration and team work, and Innovation and open thinking.

Speakers will include Sir Geoffrey Palmer QC, Statistics New Zealand CEO Liz MacPherson, and United States technology commentator Douglas Rushkoff.