This project has four strands, each helping businesses understand a different, emerging data technology in order to increase innovation, reduce costs and create competitive advantages.

The focus areas are:

• artificial intelligence
• blockchain
• personal data
• geographic UK data clusters

The data clusters work aims to enhance and improve the current UK Tech Innovation Index, with more metrics added, to show the most accurate picture yet of innovation drivers and communities in the UK.

This work is part of a three-year innovation programme, running to March 2020 with a funding profile of £2m each year from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency.

The work is helping the UK to build on its established strengths in data and data analytics, breaking new ground in creating value from data, and helping to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of data innovation globally.