ONS looks to big data as it explores new ways to measure the UK economy


Blog 4: ONS looks to big data as it explores new ways to measure the UK economy

Amy Le - 黎草嵋
D0731311
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/mar/27/office-national-statistics-harvest-big-data-science-centre-newport

Office for National Statistics to harvest data from traffic sensors, mobile phones, and satellite images at the new campus in Wales

The UK’s official statistics office is looking into using traffic sensors, mobile photo data and satellite images as new ways of measuring the shape of the economy.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is opening a new data science campus at its headquarters in Newport, South Wales, on Monday as part of a £17m investment in the way the UK collects and presents data.

It will explore new ways of measuring the economy, including using traffic sensors to gauge activity, mobile phone data to track commuter patterns and satellite images to estimate populations.

The ONS is under pressure to present more timely and broader insights into the economy following criticism that official statistics fail to capture the full picture of the modern lifestyle in Britain.

A government-ordered review by the former Bank of England deputy governor Sir Charlie Bean last year called for the ONS to be more innovative and for economic statistics to be modernized.
Number-crunchers at the new ONS hub have been tasked with harvesting information from the growing collection of big data that has been created by new technology and the internet.

The ONS will work with universities, governments, charities and businesses on developing its use of data.

At the opening on Monday, data scientists and apprentices at the new campus will hear from the non-profit foundation Flowminder about how it uses satellite images and mobile phone data to map populations and track migration.


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