[open-sustainability] Solving Business Problems with Environmental Data Competition

[Townsend J.H.]

<https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/environmental-data-competition/overview#>
Solving Business Problems with Environmental Data Competition

* Workshop tomorrow sold out *

Background

Environmental factors such as climate change and availability of resources are increasing business risk and limiting growth for some sectors while also creating new business opportunities. Businesses that can better understand the impact of the environment on their operations and adapt will increase resilience and be able to capitalise on new trends and mitigate emergent risks.

Integration of environmental data with existing datasets can reveal deeper understanding of current business risks and opportunities as well as making more informed predictions of future trends in the development of sectors such as energy, built environments, transport and food security.

The UK has an unparalleled set of institutions holding large and historic data sets, which have potential applications in the private sector nationally and internationally. The sheer volume and variety of the data can make it impossible for data users to find exactly what they need or to display it in an informative way By handling the ‘Big data' more effectively organisations gain richer and more accurate information to aid their business.

Challenge

The challenge is to match multiple environmental data owners with organisations who could benefit from the information they could collaboratively provide using software solutions tailored to the specific needs of an industry or community.

Opportunity

The opportunity for the Technology Strategy Board, NERC and its partners is to create value for the UK economy, both at home and abroad by supporting the creation of new solutions and services that provide specific commercial benefits and/or address business risk and increase resilience through the integration of environmental data with other sources. These solutions may require new consortia to tackle a specific business problem, or need access to data not currently ‘off the shelf' and not available from a single source.

The Technology Strategy Board and NERC have allocated up to £3million to invest in a number of business led, collaborative feasibility studies which will establish the proof of market for environmental data-led solutions and should address a specific business issue from one of the following areas:

  *   Energy
  *   Transport
  *   Built Environment
  *   Agriculture and Food
  *   Financial Services

The competition will open 30 September 2013 and closes 13 November 2013. More detail on the competition will be available here in due course.

Roadshow Events

Four regional ‘Roadshow' events will be run, ahead of the competition to enable potential applicants to understand the nature and spirit of the Technology Strategy Board/NERC call, its intentions to make data accessible, and its timescales. In addition potential applicants will have an opportunity to explore some trial data sets

To register please use the links below;

  *   London – 5th July<https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/solving-business-problems-with-environmental-data-roadshow>

Further roadshows will take place at;

  *   Manchester – 5th September<https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/solving-business-problems-with-environmental-data-manchester-roadshow>
  *   Bristol – 10th September<https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/solving-business-problems-with-environmental-data-bristol-roadshow>
  *   Glasgow – 18th September<https://connect.innovateuk.org/solving-business-problems-with-environmental-data-glasgow-roadshow>

For more information about any of the events please contact Derek Pedley (derek.pedley at esktn.org<mailto:derek.pedley at esktn.org>) or Jenni McDonnell (jenni.mcdonnell at esktn.org<mailto:jenni.mcdonnell at esktn.org>) at the ESKTN.