Public services in the UK are data-rich but insight-poor. Vast volumes of data are siloed, difficult to access, and end up underutilised. The National Data Library could change this by making public data faster to access and easier to use. To ensure it is a success, however, it requires a clear vision and a concrete plan.
In collaboration with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, our Head of Science and Technology Anastasia Bektimirova publishes a joint paper Governing in the Age of AI: Building Britain’s National Data Library. It sets out short- (within six months), medium- (within three years) and long-term (within five years) reforms to build an infrastructure that could accelerate academic research, drive commercial R&D innovation, enable evidence-based policy design, and transform public service delivery across the UK.