Strategic investment in data sharing infrastructure promises to unlock economic growth, accelerate AI adoption, and deliver new opportunities for UK businesses and citizens, a roundtable discussion heard.

Participants reaffirmed the need for a clear vision, strategic leadership, and a commitment to building the foundations for a resilient and future-proof digital economy. They agreed that ongoing collaboration, stakeholder engagement and the exploration of a governance mechanism is essential to realising this ambition.

Unlocking growth through data sharing and AI

Those in attendance agreed that the UK’s ambition to be an “AI maker, not an AI taker” hinges on robust, interoperable, and trusted data infrastructure. Delivering on this vision requires co-ordinated action and investment across public and private sectors, underpinned by programmatic leadership and a clear national strategy.

The roundtable highlighted that without effective data sharing, AI projects stall, value is lost, and the UK risks falling behind global competitors.

Barriers: security, leadership, and public trust

Despite the promise, significant barriers persist. Fragmented incentives, siloed initiatives, and the absence of clear leadership were identified as root causes undermining previous efforts. Concerns around data security, regulatory uncertainty, and public trust remain high, with cultural and organisational resistance often outweighing technical challenges. The roundtable emphasised that transformation requires more than technology – it demands a generational shift in strategy, skills, and culture.

Providing the glue to fill the cracks

Participants stressed the need for a strategic, sovereign data sharing infrastructure – one that builds on existing investments, leverages what works, and is co-ordinated across sectors. There is a need to bridge the gap between policy intent and market delivery, ensuring the business case for AI-ready infrastructure does not fall between the cracks.

Fear of Big Brother

Public attitudes towards data sharing remain a challenge, with fears of surveillance and loss of control over personal data. Reluctance to share data risks creating bias and limiting the benefits of AI. Operational teams in critical sectors are cautious about deploying AI tools due to accountability concerns and risk aversion, particularly in high-stakes environments like energy and health. The roundtable called for clear policy frameworks and trust-building measures to address these concerns.

Consider what data needs sharing

The discussion underscored the need for clear criteria on what data should be shared, balancing security, privacy, and value creation. Leadership awareness of the data sharing agenda is limited, and the challenge is often cultural rather than technical. The adoption of synthetic data and smart data contracts offers promise, but requires robust frameworks and incentives to build trust and drive adoption.

Joined up thinking encouraged

The experts agreed that the UK must accelerate towards a cross-sector, interoperable approach to data sharing. Collaboration across sectors including energy, transport, water, the built environment, and health is essential, with standards, security, and shared learning identified as critical success factors. The roundtable highlighted the potential need for a cross-sector orchestration body to oversee data and AI initiatives, drive strategic alignment, and ensure the UK’s AI ambitions translate into shared prosperity.

Economic case and call to action

It was agreed by the roundtable that the launch of the Modern Industrial Strategy by Government has provided a clear steer for businesses that the data they are sitting on is a valuable asset. But while some companies do not share their data at all, other firms may be sharing too much, leading to security concerns and a threat to critical infrastructure.

Summarising the discussion, Connected Places Catapult’s Data and Digital Managing Director, Justin Anderson said “the UK needs data sharing infrastructure to ensure that different organisations are able to connect together and access data across boundaries,” based on the ambitions of the AI Opportunities Action Plan.

“Unlocking data is what we are trying to do; presenting the business case for building AI-ready infrastructure,” he added. “Data sharing infrastructure will sit there, and innovators across the UK will be empowered to build a future of new scalable products and services on top.”

The economic case for interoperability is clear: improved data sharing could deliver significant cost savings, efficiency gains, and new opportunities for growth. The promised data valuation framework is welcomed, providing a significant first step in recognising public and private data as an economic, financial, and social asset. Achieving the UK’s ambitions around growth and scaling innovation will require coordinated action across standards, governance, infrastructure, and skills.

More details from the roundtable available in the report below.
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Accelerating AI-Readiness

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