2025: From disruption to delivery: how data can transform new infrastructure development
Connected Places Catapult is the UK’s innovation accelerator for transport, the built environment, cities and local growth.
On 4 March 2025 we ran the round table discussion titled From disruption to delivery: How data can transform new infrastructure development. The round table was convened under Chatham House Rule. Attendees explored challenges and experiences around data sharing and accessing data along with proposing examples of best practice. It was attended by: ITS Global, Transport for Greater Manchester, Amey, Snapper, Mott MacDonald, Greater Cambridge Partnership, Siemens Mobility, Free State, Department for Transport, Cambridge Consultants, CJ Founds Associates, Manchester Airports Group
Key messages:
• Systems-based approaches are needed to consider cross-sector challenges — Too often large projects are delivered on a task basis, or within siloed sectors not considering impact on related sectors, resulting in a gap between aspirational outcomes and actual outcomes. Data sharing can support more integrated planning, improve efficiency and reduce rework. It can also align additional opportunities, for example the consideration of health benefits from transport initiatives. Organisational change is often required to achieve this.
• Data sharing has many challenges – Data often sits silos and in the absence of agreed standardised approaches if can be difficult to know “what data is required”, “what data is available?”, “how robust is the data?”, “if data can be shared?” (it was noted it was often easier to say no). Additionally, “confidence to not store irrelevant data. “integration of data”, “what data is missing?” (eg. Time saved), “is there benefits to sharing, lack of a mechanism to bring disparate organisational data together. data both ways” (eg., from a safety perspective vehicle to emergency service), common ontologies
• Articulating benefits and the economic case for data sharing is key to gaining executive buy in. Some attendees reported a misalignment of benefits & incentives. The value of data sharing was felt to lie in using it to make better decisions. Organisations including government are looking to be able to demonstrate impact now, not in 5 years’ time.
• Data Sharing initiatives should be carefully structured, for example:
o To reduce duplication
o To keep data secure
o With a clear opportunity or goal in mind
Considering the minimum data necessary to make a certain decision will help limit data centralisation and lower security risks. Alternative approaches beyond collecting all the data in a single centralised place, were felt to be attractive.
• Mandation of minimum data sharing levels can spark innovation and digital transformation across sectors — Some attendees felt the sharing of insights would be more beneficial than the sharing of data BUT felt that a universal standard for data would be challenging to achieve. Attendees were supportive of trialling or “getting on with” data sharing, rather than waiting for a universal standard, using a “test and learn” approach.
Additional points:
• There’s a need to avoid “tech push” and to define suitable use cases.
• Data sharing pilots or trials seem to be common place, but scaling any particular approach is hard.
• The role and interest of academia in data sharing could be enhanced.
• Cross-departmental collaboration around data has brought positive impacts, however, defining the benefits to each different department is difficult.
• The Government’s vision for a National Data Library can act as a catalyst for practical action.
One of the participant said: “it is the service and the change you make that has the value, rather than the data itself”.
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