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Security and resilience

Ensuring confidence in data

Metrology to enable a digitally transformed world

Confidence in data supports business critical and safety critical decisions

The world is transforming digitally. Emerging technologies, such as Internet of Things, artificial intelligence (AI), 5G communications, augmented reality, biotechnology, simulation testing, additive manufacturing and distributed ledger technologies will come to define our future. All are enabled by the effective use of data and the successful adoption of these technologies will depend upon their ability to get data management right.

Generating trusted data and providing the confidence needed to take action on the information it provides will be vital for businesses, governments and society in this increasingly digitised world.  Confidence in datacan mean more efficient design, test and manufacture cycles, greater efficiencies in creation and delivery and fewer operational mistakes; as well as a clearer understanding of why things go wrong and who or what is responsible.  

It will become harder to reliably quantify the risk and reliability associated with decisions which are derived from data unless there is a way to measure the quality of data consistently. Establishing 'proof of trust' within the system and the appropriate governance model involves the application of measurement infrastructure and standards throughout the data lifecycle. 

Increasing the rate of adoption and investment

NPL is addressing the following needs:

  • maintain the confidence and integrity of processes in a data-centric world based on AI
  • provide confidence in the collection, communication and analysis of data, when both hardware and software need to be interoperable and validated
  • provide common approaches and standards for secure, traceable and authenticated security and resilience processes and reduce inherent risk of bias in programming.

We are using our world-leading expertise in metrology to:   

  • maintain the focus of data science to support advances in measurement science; at the same time, leveraging advances in data science to drive masurement science forward
  • measure the accuracy and precision of data, the provenance of data, and the propagation of uncertainty through data processing and curation processes. 
  • build the necessary data standards and quality infrastructure, bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds, provide traceability back to the SI and enable trustworthy and explainable AI.

At a recent seminar with the International Underwriting Association, NPL presented 'Understanding the value of trusted data with the National Physical Laboratory' and answered a series of questions related to our trust in data. You can watch the webinar here and hear about the various work streams NPL are involved with.

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Data science

Find out about our research into the intelligent and effective use of data.

Data science

Case study

Improving the quality and efficiency of crop production

Article

Case study

Unlocking productivity through data confidence

Article

Working with NPL

Our researchers are at the forefront of new innovations that promise to deliver new solutions to security and resilience challenges. We play a vital role in providing the standards and assurance to provide confidence in new products and providing reliable data. Learn more about our research areas and working with our experts. 

If you have a research collaboration where our expertise can help, please can contact the team and discuss your challenge.

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Work with us

Our research and measurement solutions support innovation and product development. We work with companies to deliver business advantage and commercial success.
Contact our Customer Services team on +44 20 8943 7070