Future Agenda is delighted to announce the launch of its most recent report, Delivering Value Through Data. Throughout 2018, we canvassed the views of a wide range of 900 experts with different backgrounds and perspectives and asked for their perspective on the future value of data. In total we held 30 workshops across 24 countries to review the data landscape across the globe, as it is now, and how it may evolve over the next five to ten years. The result delivers a comprehensive picture of the sheer variety of issues and views thrown up by a fast-evolving ‘data economy’.

Data is now a key raw material of business, government, and society. It is cheap, widely available, and relatively easy to access, and its use influences almost all aspects of how our society works. This suggests that data has potentially enormous value.  However, there is little consensus around exactly what this value is, or where this value comes from. Many fundamental questions remain unanswered such as why exactly is data valuable and what are the real benefits we derive from it?

In addition to this, we need to add the complexities of different cultures, different types of technology, and hugely differing stages of technology development and adoption around the world. This changes peoples’ and societies’ experiences of using data, their perceptions, and their priorities. Without a collective understanding of the distinctive characteristics of data and the multiple different ways it can be put to use, opportunities to extract value may be missed.

Different innovations, perspectives, priorities, and initiatives from multiple sectors and across geographies, means that we are likely to see a myriad of future pathways. However we believe if we explore the different approaches to valuing data, and try to understand the rationale behind them, we may be better prepared for change. This report highlights the key issues and questions which were most debated during our research and provides an overview of the different points of view around the world.

We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to our primary sponsor, Facebook, and the large number of other organisations and individuals who contributed to the programme.

As always, we consider our reports to be the start point for further conversations and would welcome additional input. If you would like to participate in any way, you can join our LinkedIn Group here or contact

Caroline Dewing  caroline.dewing@futureagenda.org

Dr Tim Jones tim.jones@futureagenda.org