Smart Data Research UK

We’re pleased to present Smart Data Research UK (SDR UK) as one of our conference sponsors this year.

About SDR UK

Smart Data Research UK (SDR UK) is a UK Research and Innovation investment in digital infrastructure. It's a national programme to transform how we use data generated through everyday digital interactions, from smartphones to smart home devices.

Launched in 2023, the programme has established six specialised data services to provide safe and secure access to this valuable data. Enabling researchers to understand our world better and help solve pressing social and economic challenges.

Meet the SDR UK team at Digital Footprints:

Joe Cuddeford, Director of SDR UK will discuss ‘Smart data for public good: UK as a world-leader' in the 14.30-15.00 plenary session on day 1
Join the SDR UK Expert Panel in their ‘Building Public Trust’ workshop on day 1 (15.30-17.00)
Meet the SDR UK team in the conference atrium during the networking sessions.

SDR UK Sessions

Plenary: Smart data for public good: UK as a world-leader

Speaker: Joe Cuddeford, Director of Smart Data Research UK

Day 1, 14.30-15.00

The great proliferation of digital footprints data (or smart data) from our daily lives presents exciting opportunities for research that will benefit society - but only if we can access and use this data responsibly and in a co-ordinated way.

This plenary introduces Smart Data Research UK (SDR UK), a new £60m UKRI investment to help transform how researchers access and use smart data.

We will introduce you to SDR UK and our new network of specialised data services, each offering unique insights into how we live, work and interact in the digital age. Once established, these services will provide researchers with secure access to rich, real-world data while maintaining robust privacy protections.

The plenary will showcase these services and what they will collectively offer researchers over the next few years, including:

Safe access to a diverse range of smart data. 
User-friendly services that support research and collaboration across academic disciplines. 
Public engagement, transparency and ethical guidelines. 
Training, tools, and resources.

Building public trust

Building public trust begins with talking to people about their hopes and fears. Our foundational public dialogue revealed that while participants were initially cautious about smart data research, they became increasingly enthusiastic as they learned more about its potential benefits and safeguards.

The public wants to see research that delivers tangible "real-life" impact on key challenges like social inequality, health, and infrastructure.
They emphasised the importance of high-quality, inclusive data to ensure benefits reach all communities fairly.
Transparency about security measures, particularly the Five Safes Framework, significantly increased public confidence.

We will present our full report and insights from our public dialogue and expert consultation during our panel session (Day 1, 15.30 - 17.00)

A challenge to the research community

The success of smart data research depends not just on infrastructure, but on this community. How can we collectively ensure this powerful new data drives meaningful social benefit? We’ll open the floor for questions, challenges, and ideas.

We hope to share with the community our inspiring vision for smart data research in the UK, practical information and opportunities for researchers, and insights into building public confidence relevant to all.

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Smart Data Research UK Expert Panel: Building Public Trust

Day 1, 15.30-17.00

Building public trust is an important part of our work. We are committed to being open and transparent and to involving the public as much as possible. We recently commissioned a public dialogue to:

Understand people’s hopes and concerns towards smart data research for public good and the values and principles that underlie them.
Understand people’s perceptions of what constitutes ‘public good’ and their priorities within this.
Identify people’s expectations for ensuring that collaborations between publicly funded data scientists and private companies align with ‘public good’ and ethical principles.
Understand people's expectations for the handling of their data by researchers and data services in line with their values and principles.
Use the insight from the dialogue to inform the development of Smart Data Research UK and its data services and their public engagement work in the longer term.

At Digital Footprints 2025, we will present the findings of this foundational dialogue alongside our next steps. The session will feature our Public Engagement Oversight Group, which brought together diverse voices from academia, industry, regulatory bodies, and citizen advocacy. This panel will explore the implications of our findings for smart data research and discuss the broader theme of public trust.

The workshop will engage conference participants in critical discussions about:

Building public trust in smart data research
Balancing innovation with ethical considerations
Public-private collaboration
Ensuring responsible data governance
Embedding public engagement in research infrastructure

This session will be useful for anyone working with smart data/digital footprints data - whether you're a researcher, work in government, or run projects that use people's data.