Join us for an engaging discussion on how metadata federation can empower small teams to achieve "more with less." 

This session will focus on a compelling case study featuring Administrative Data Research UK (ADR UK) and its collaboration with prominent organizations such as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in England, the Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency (NISRA), the Scottish Centre for Administrative Data Research (SCADR) in Scotland, and the SAIL Databank in Wales. Together, we created a groundbreaking national metadata solution that consolidates metadata and revolutionizes data discovery for partners, funders, and the public.

ADR UK's partners possess an abundance of valuable data within their individual data centers. However, the true value of this data can be amplified exponentially when researchers connect and link data across multiple environments. This opens up tremendous opportunities for innovation and insight. Unfortunately, the complex task of discovering, accessing, and comprehending data and innovation possibilities across multiple environments has proven extremely challenging. As a result, valuable opportunities for innovation may have been overlooked simply because researchers couldn't easily locate or comprehend the potential of joining various datasets. To address this issue, ADR UK required a comprehensive solution capable of:

• Operating seamlessly across different technologies, governance environments, and infrastructures.
• Ensuring the security of highly sensitive data while promoting transparency and innovation.
• Harmonizing different standards and terminologies.
• Streamlining data onboarding and management processes for future endeavors.
• Presenting a unified and coherent interface to data users.
• Identifying and highlighting linked data opportunities.

In May 2023, ADR UK proudly unveiled its groundbreaking data catalog—an achievement that integrates four federated national catalogs and encompasses an impressive collection of 359 indexed data products. This federated data catalog, the first of its kind in the UK, revolutionizes access to the nation's extensive public sector data. By accelerating the process of data discovery, enhancing accessibility, ensuring consistency, and promoting transparency, this monumental development facilitates vital research that informs policy decisions and improves public services.

Join us as we explore the transformative power of metadata federation and collaboration, and uncover new possibilities for research, analytics, and informed decision-making.

Speaker: Adam Milward

CEO, MetadataWorks

Adam is the CEO and Co-Founder of MetadataWorks. He is ex-IBM Top Talent and led the data architecture team for the groundbreaking 100,000 Genome Project. Adam has led and delivered national standards and data projects for NHS England, Health Data Research UK, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the UK Office for National Statistics. When he's not making data FAIRer he spends his time surfing in the north sea.