Data for the Public Good: Responses to the Commission’s report

14 Dec 2017 03:01 PM

The NIC yesterday responsed to the Commission’s report.

Professor Lord Robert Mair, President, Institution of Civil Engineers

“Good infrastructure underpins thriving communities and economic growth. It enables peoples’ day to day lives – creating connectivity, access to key utilities, and underpinning our social infrastructure.

“One of the most exciting things about the digital revolution is the opportunity to create ‘smart infrastructure’. The engineers of the future must now build smart. We should build assets that don’t just stand and wait for renovations and maintenance, but tell us what they require: assets that live.

“The National Infrastructure Commission’s technology and innovation report sets out a road map for industry and government collaboration that will allow us to take full advantage of the technological possibilities that are now emerging.”

Sir Alan Wilson, Chief Executive, The Alan Turing Institute

“There is a new utility, so crucial to the efficient functioning of modern life that we could not do without it: data. Like any major system such as transport, housing or telecoms, data requires its own infrastructure, to collect it, store it and derive knowledge and value from it.

“The NIC data report provides a welcome recognition of the connections between data-driven technologies and major infrastructure systems. We look forward to working with the NIC to take forward the recommendations in their report and build on the exciting potential in this space.”

Nicola Yates, Chief Executive, Future Cities Catapult

“Having more information about our infrastructure assets and how they are being used helps us to use, maintain and plan these crucial national systems better. However, the key to success is in sharing this data. That’s why we’ve contributed to this report which sets out how more data, shared across public and private sectors, can maximise public benefit whilst growing the economy simultaneously.”

Julian David, Chief Executive, TechUK

“Embracing a smarter approach to how we build, operate and maintain our infrastructure is critical to tackling the UK’s productivity challenge. This report not only correctly identifies the value that we can extract from ensuring data is at the heart of smart infrastructure, but also sets out practical steps for how we can better create, share and gain insights whilst fully protecting data derived from our infrastructure. techUK is committed to supporting key organisations that are driving change in our infrastructure sector, such as Project 13, and we look forward to working with the NIC in making its recommendations a reality.”

Scot Gardner, Chief Executive UK & Ireland, Cisco

“Every connection, everything we do, creates data. In the next decade, we’ll see many more things connected to the internet, each one of them with the potential to provide meaningful information that, if we can securely capture and utilise, will improve our lives.

“The publishing of this report not only highlights the opportunity in connecting and better utilising data, but the crucial areas that need to be addressed to truly see its benefit such as visibility, privacy and trust. We welcome the focus on utilising data and opening data access for the public good – in every sector, and for everyone.”

Graham Mather, President, The Infrastructure Forum

“The National Infrastructure Commission is always at the forefront of forward thinking on infrastructure. Its new work on capturing and using data points to how, in Britain’s digital future, greater sharing and deployment of data can foster investment, strengthen monitoring, improve design of projects and strengthen cross-sectoral cooperation and benchmarking.

“Forward looking organisations like TfL already make extensive public use of their data. This National Infrastructure Commission work points organisations in all sectors to the benefits of being imaginative about the use of data, always bearing in mind proper concerns about security and privacy.”