How the UK can get value from its 'high-value' datasets

Read our new report on how the UK is falling behind on high-value public data - and how it can catch up.

What do parcel deliveries, research to tackle the climate crisis, and your plan to head to the park tomorrow because it will be sunny, all have in common? They all rely on ‘high-value’ public data. 

Riddles aside, high-value data is basic infrastructure for the modern world. Good data on (for example) buildings, helps everyone from the fire engine crew saving lives, to the start-up building better boilers.

And unlike sensitive data like health records, these core datasets don’t contain personal information, so they can be shared without privacy concerns. The growing consensus is that reducing barriers to this core public data makes economic sense.

The UK’s competitors are pulling away

That’s why the EU has identified a core set of high-value datasets that it will require all of its member states to make freely available. From 2024, all EU countries will publish core reference datasets, including weather forecasts, field boundaries, and a host of other data.

Many of the UK’s trading partners, from Australia to Singapore, are working on similar initiatives. Even the US, home of free enterprise, now has an open address database - something we’ve long pushed for, along with others.

The way ahead

But sadly, while the UK once led the way on access to data, it’s fallen behind in recent years. Too many of our core datasets are still hampered by high licensing fees, complex IP agreements, or just poor data quality. Recently, an official review of innovation warned that businesses still struggle with “inconsistent and fragmented” access to public data.

We’ve just published a new report comparing progress in the UK to its competitors. Our report analyses why the UK has struggled, and how the government can tackle this. If you’re interested get in touch at contact@centreforpublicdata.org.