The Defence Data Research Centre (DDRC)

Funded Value:
–

Funder:
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)

Project Status:
Active

Lead Research Organisation:
University of Exeter

Principal Investigator:
Dr Zena Wood

Co-Investigators:
Professor Alan Brown
Professor Tim Dodwell
Professor Richard Everson
Professor Roger Maull
Professor Steve Schneider
Nick Wright
Professor Simeon Yates

Academic partners:
University of Liverpool
University of Surrey
Digital Catapult

This transdisciplinary centre explicitly recognises the importance of data and the urgent need for a cross-disciplinary approach.

The Defence Data Research Centre (DDRC) will focus on problems related to the use of data for Artificial Intelligence applications, which can often be inaccessible or unusable in their raw state. Up to 80% of time can be spent in getting data in a state where it can be used, and some projects never start at all due to insurmountable data issues. The DDRC will help to overcome some of the barriers to using data and enable us to realise much of the hidden value of our data to better support the defence and security of the UK.

The principal task will be investigating problems within a defence context with the expectation that any solutions and mitigations developed by the Centre could be applied elsewhere to benefit the wider UK economy.

The DDRC comprises a consortium led by the University of Exeter, and supported by the University of Liverpool, University of Surrey and the Digital Catapult on behalf of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), and is part of the MOD’s recently formed Defence AI Centre.