Unlocking the power of smart data: mid-point update
Unlocking the power of smart data: mid-point update
How SDR UK is moving from building a national smart data infrastructure to delivering real-world impact for research, policy and the public good.
Smart Data Research UK (SDR UK) was launched in 2024 with a clear ambition: to unlock the power of data created through our everyday digital lives – from financial transactions and online activity to energy use and mobility – and enable it to be used safely for research in the public interest.
These forms of “smart data” are some of the most valuable and underused assets in the UK’s research landscape. They offer new ways to understand the economy, society and environment – and to address some of the most pressing challenges we face, from cost-of-living pressures to the clean energy transition.
Smart data offers huge opportunities when it comes to AI research, where real-world data are essential for training and evaluating AI systems. SDR UK is helping position the UK at the forefront of responsible AI by providing access to rich datasets within a secure, trusted framework.
As we approach the mid-point of this phase of SDR UK, this is a good moment to take stock: what we have built, how it’s being used – including in emerging areas such as AI – and what comes next.
Building a national data infrastructure
Over the past two years, SDR UK has focused on establishing the foundations of a new national data infrastructure.
We now operate a portfolio of six data services, led by research institutes across the UK, covering areas including financial data, geographic data, health and place, energy, satellite imagery and data donation. Together, these services represent a £30m investment in making smart data more accessible, usable and useful for research.
Across the programme, over 180 datasets are now available, with thousands of researchers accessing data and tools.
This includes large-scale, real-world datasets that bring new kinds of insight within reach. For example, researchers can now access data on over 15 million UK property records from WhenFresh/Zoopla, as well as de-identified banking data from 5.3 million UK customers, and data from power networks and energy meters.
From access to use and impact
While establishing infrastructure has been essential and will continue, the next phase of SDR UK is about increasing use and demonstrating public value – ensuring that smart data is not only accessible, but actively used to address real-world challenges.
To support this, SDR UK is organising its work around three priorities, aligned with government missions:
Growth and Opportunity – understanding the drivers of growth, productivity, regional disparities and living standards, to inform inclusive economic growth.
Health and Wellbeing – improving health outcomes, reducing inequalities and deepening understanding of the determinants of health.
Clean Energy Transition – supporting the shift to a low-carbon economy through new insights into energy systems, markets and consumer behaviour.
These priorities help connect data, research and policy more directly, and ensure that our investments are focused on areas of greatest public value.
A major milestone for this was the launch of the SDR UK Fellowships programme, with 15 new projects using smart data to tackle challenges across these areas – from AI-generated misinformation to forecasting demand for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
We have also strengthened engagement with researchers and policymakers, including participation in Evidence Week in Parliament and a leading role in the Digital Footprints Conference.
Together, this is helping to build a more connected and active community of smart data researchers.
Case study: Understanding fuel poverty through smart data
A clear example of SDR UK’s potential can be seen in new work on fuel poverty, linking to both our Growth and Opportunity and Clean Energy Transition priorities.
SDR UK is bringing together smart meter data and anonymised financial data for the first time. The project draws on data from SDR’s Financial Data Service (FINDS) and Smart Energy Data Service (SENSE) and aims to build a more accurate and granular understanding of fuel poverty across the UK.
Around nine million people are estimated to be living in fuel poverty, but existing measures are widely recognised to underestimate the true scale of the problem. By combining data on energy consumption with indicators of financial stress, this work will allow researchers to understand how rising energy costs and financial pressures interact in practice – and how this varies across different places and communities. Crucially, the project will create new datasets capable of identifying patterns of vulnerability at a much more local level, helping to move beyond static or incomplete indicators. This offers the potential to support more targeted and effective policy responses, particularly as the UK transitions to a low-carbon energy system.
“This kind of work shows the value of bringing new forms of data into the research ecosystem. By connecting data in new ways, we can build a richer understanding of people’s experiences and generate evidence that is more timely, more relevant, and ultimately more useful for improving lives.”
Joe Cuddeford, Director of Smart Data Research UK
Trust, governance and responsible innovation
Central to SDR UK’s mission is maintaining public trust. Working with new forms of data – often drawn from private sector sources – requires robust governance, transparency and clear public benefit.
So far, we have:
- Published findings from a national public dialogue on smart data, which engaged participants across five UK locations to explore attitudes to the use of data from everyday digital interactions
- Developed a programme-wide trust framework, setting out how data are accessed, governed and safeguarded across SDR UK
- Strengthened oversight and governance, including new leadership structures and an expanded Programme Oversight Board
Across our data services, we are embedding responsible practice through ethics boards, governance processes and public engagement activity.
This work is essential to ensuring that smart data is not only powerful for research, but also trusted, responsible and legitimate.
Looking ahead: value and sustainability
The priority for the coming years is to build on the infrastructure that has been established and to maximise its public value. This includes:
- Increasing the number of researchers using smart data
- Developing targeted partnerships with policymakers and industry
- Delivering practical ‘lighthouse projects’ that demonstrate real-world impact
- Strengthening the research and policy community around smart data
We are also undertaking a mid-term evaluation, which will help shape priorities for the next phase.
Our datasets and tools are pushing the boundaries of research, and paving the way for responsible AI innovation. The foundations are in place:
- A national infrastructure of data services
- A growing body of data and tools
- Early examples of research use and policy impact
- A strong focus on trust and responsible practice
The task now is to realise the full potential of this investment.
“Smart data represents a powerful and underused resource for research that benefits the public. SDR UK is helping to unlock that potential – not just by making data available, but by enabling it to be used safely and effectively to improve people’s lives.”
Alison Park, ESRC Deputy Executive Chair
