We are living in an era of Big data with the rapid technological developments in information technologies and communications providing an unprecedented amount of data and new forms of data. Big data is now an integral part of our daily lives and are routinely produced by local government and business. In these settings, data production is just a by-product of the activities local government or business are involved in: most often, this information is collected for a specific purpose but very little use is made of these data-sets beyond the original purpose they were designed for. The challenge is how we can make better use of these types of information to improve our quality of life and foster economic growth. If combined together, these datasets can provide valuable information and insights into how businesses and local authorities work, the ways in which improvements to services can be made or businesses become more successful and efficient in their operation. Big data can provide local authorities and businesses additional information which can help them to design better policies and improve their business operations. To date, very little data of this type has been available for social scientific research in a systematic way. The aim of the new Smart Data Analytics (SDA) for Business and Local Government research centre is to utilise this explosion of information for social scientific research to answer questions that affect all our lives. For example, in an era of austerity and belt-tightening for local authorities, how can they make best use of limited resources to deliver the highest quality service to residents including across health and social care provision, education, crime reduction, housing and transport? By using data sources collected by local authorities for their administrative purposes we can start to unravel some of these questions and make relevant and timely policy recommendations. We have partnered with three local councils in Kent, Essex and Norfolk who are keen to work with academic researchers to learn from the information they hold to improve their service delivery but at present do not fully utilise. We have also partnered with businesses who wish to understand how we can foster and support economic growth, particularly for small and medium enterprises and start-ups. What are the barriers these businesses face and how can Big data help us understand the best means of overcoming these? The SDA will establish a secure data facility at the University of Essex where Big data from a variety of sources are stored and matched so to produce new information which can be useful to both local authorities and businesses. At the same time, the facility will give researchers, local authorities and businesses a point of access to Big data and expertise and support in using those data. There are clearly many issues of data privacy and confidentiality to be considered and the Centre will develop safe methods of handling, anonymising and linking data to ensure the confidentiality of businesses and individuals is maintained and respected. The Centre will also carry out research into how Big data can best be analysed as some of the methods used for more standard forms of data such as social surveys may not apply. We have an innovative substantive research programme articulated in a set of research streams designed to focus on key policy issues: (i) Methodological advances in Big Data analysis; (ii) Local economic growth, (iii) Support for vulnerable people; and (iv) the Green Infrastructure. The Centre will also provide training and support to new researchers, businesses and local authorities and engage actively with both businesses and local authorities through tailored knowledge exchange activities which will draw on the expertise built in the Centre. The new Centre promises to be an exciting development that will not only advance knowledge but have a positive impact on our quality of life.

This proposal seeks to reconceptualise consumer value and business resilience in the UK's creative and visitor sectors and their value chain (from VFX companies, theatres and museums to festivals, catering and accommodation providers), collectively referred to as the experience economy. With a value of over £300bn, the health of the experience economy maintains the UK's status as the world's seventh most visited country and producer of quality creative experiences. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many experience economy operators in the creative sector had begun experimenting with online content. Over the course of the pandemic, the range of these offers has expanded, opening up new audiences and sustaining existing ones. For many businesses, the digital or online 'experience' comprises mainly recorded and distributed content, usually provided free. Experiences are heavily dependent on evoking a sense of place. Therefore, at a time when access to physical places is restricted, there is a risk that online material fails to provide an effective proxy for the experience itself. While proving popular during the pandemic (see bibliography), existing products arguably offer limited additional experiential or business benefits. Convening expertise in experience design, post-production technology, games, visitor economy and place-making, this project will: - support experience providers in developing online and digital products which enhance their physical counterparts. - investigate modes of delivery and monetisation, as well as the policy instruments required to maintain adjacent place-based reputations and offers. - produce tools to support experience economy businesses' immediate post-COVID-19 regeneration, including scenario modelling, enabling a robust economic recovery.