King's joins London-wide data initiative

King’s has signed up to the new London Data Charter. This has been created by London First to promote collaboration between public and private sector organisations in London that will help Londoners benefit from the huge potential of data to improve Londoners’ lives.

King’s College London is home to some of the world’s leading thinkers on data, so having that expertise available as part of the London Data Charter is another step forward. We’ve been delighted by the response to the London Data Charter, with big businesses, policy leaders and academics signing up to unlock data and make a real difference to Londoners’ lives. – David Lutton, Executive Director for Connectivity , London First.

Within King’s, the Centre for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP London) is leading data projects that explore issues in areas such as transport, crime, health care and digital exclusion. The Interim Director of CUSP London, Dr Yijing Li, explains the impact the new Charter will have:

“The London Data Charter will enable the capital city to be sustained by good data governance framework, sound data infrastructure and fostered digital inclusion of talents, through this wonderful partnership on data collaboration among academia, public and private sections.”

CUSP London seeks to conduct fundamental and applied research in collaborations that use London as both lab and classroom. It brings together researchers, policy-makers, and professionals to tackle urban challenges in the belief that cross-cutting, collaborative work is the best way to deliver solutions with real-word impact: the close involvement of our government and private sector partners allows CUSP London to translate research into action.

Dr Simon Miles, Reader in Computer Science, is clear that the new Charter will enable further collaboration:

“In signing up to the Charter, King’s is not only declaring its own support of these principles and for being an institution that cares about contributing to its local city, but is also demonstrating that universities can join an ecosystem of private sector and local government bodies as equals in exchanging data to mutual benefit. CUSP London, as a data-driven urban analytics centre, looks forward to realising the value of the Charter in our research and education collaborations”.