Smart Data Research UK brings together companies, academics, innovators and government to understand our world better and help solve social and economic challenges. Companies that work with us enable research that could lead to scientific breakthroughs. They will be making a positive impact on the lives of their customers and society. They will be putting value back into their business by getting new insights about data they hold. That’s not just a good thing to do. It’s the smart thing to do.

Through co-created insight, our academic experts can help explore issues that may not be central to your business, offering potential advantages over competitors. They may provide fresh contextual information, access to a diversity of academic disciplines, or opportunities to link datasets for enhanced analysis and insight.   

We know that data is never perfect. It can take investment and know-how to clean, organise, transfer and analyse. Many organisations can do this themselves, but we can advise and assist those that need it.   

The UK has hundreds of world-class research labs and thousands of leading experts. Most companies don’t have time to engage with multiple requests from individual researchers. We do that instead. Using our position as the UK’s national smart data network, we bring together experts from different disciplines, providing a single point of engagement. 

Security and public trust

Improving lives is our mission. The safe, secure and responsible handling of data underpins everything we do. Data facilities include highly secure trusted research environments to avoid risk of sensitive data release and in full compliance with data protection law. The public needs to be involved in decisions about how their data is used. Public engagement is also at the heart of our work, and we only support research that delivers benefit to society. 

Types of data

Here is a list of smart data we are interested in making available for research. The list is not exhaustive:   

Retail and business data

Digital records of the production, distribution and sale of goods and services: 

• store loyalty cards
• checkout scanners
• management information systems
• online shopping transactions

App and web data

Digital traces from human engagement with online services and sites:

• social media
• forums
• apps
• gaming and streaming services
• gambling services

Financial data 

Digital transactions and other financial products:

• high street banking transactions
• card payment systems
• digital currencies
• loans
• pensions and other investments  

Transport, mobility and infrastructure data 

Sensors monitoring the physical environment or the movement of people and objects:

• GPS-enabled devices and vehicles
• communication networks
• sensors in transport networks
• supply chains
• buildings
• environmental sensors
• energy systems
• utility networks 

Imagery data 

Remote imaging devices:

• satellite imagery
• aerial imagery
• LiDAR
• street-level imagery
• crowdsourced imagery 

Smart device and wearables data 

Sensors on the body; devices sensing and acting in small-scale environments:

• smart watches
• fitness trackers
• wearable glucose monitors
• smart speakers  

Ethics and responsibility 

We prioritise the high standards of ethical conduct and responsible data practices. We ensure data is governed in a trustworthy way for maximum privacy, security and legal compliance.  

Learn more about our ethics and responsible data practices.

Discover more

Read some of the case studies illustrating how researchers are working with company data.

Partner with us

Contact our partnerships team to find out more or to collaborate: smartdataresearch@ukri.org