TO BE PUBLISHED October 2026
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Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
This conference will examine next steps for smart data policy, regulation, and implementation in the UK. Areas for discussion include the development of smart data schemes, governance and regulatory co-ordination, innovation in consumer and business-facing data services, and priorities for security, confidence and oversight.
Overall, it will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss next steps following publication of Smart Data 2035: The UK's Smart Data Strategy, with a focus on its long-term vision for secure, trusted data sharing, the development of a cross-economy framework and the conditions needed for smart data services to scale.
Delegates will examine how the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 is being taken forward in practice, including the use of new powers to establish smart data schemes, ICO guidance on data protection and organisational readiness, and the sequencing of secondary legislation. Discussion will also consider the Financial Conduct Authority’s Open Finance Roadmap, and the way forward for moving from open banking to wider open finance, and what experience from the open banking rollout suggests for future governance, standards and delivery.
Discussion will address the pace and scope of scheme development, alongside requirements for interoperability, technical standards and accreditation, and the influence of emerging frameworks for competition, innovation and consumer protection on market participation.
Regulatory co-ordination, implementation & market readiness
Sessions will examine regulatory considerations for delivery, including market readiness across financial services, energy, transport, property and retail sectors, and the operational capability of regulated entities and authorised third-party providers. Discussion will draw on recent Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum work on smart data frameworks, including international implementation models, cross-sector regulatory collaboration, consent and accreditation, and the design of standards that can support interoperability without unnecessarily constraining innovation.
Market structure and competition implications will be discussed, including questions raised by stakeholders about the role of large incumbents and platform-based intermediaries in influencing technical standards. Delegates will consider options for addressing risks of market concentration, closed ecosystems, and reduced competition in data-enabled service markets - particularly in the context of ongoing work by the CMA on the design and operation of price transparency schemes, and wider interaction with competition interventions in digital markets.
Areas for discussion include interoperability between sectoral schemes, the development of accreditation and assurance frameworks, compliance obligations and enforcement alignment across regulators, and the practical effects of distributed regulatory responsibility.
The Smart Data Guidebook will also be considered, and its role as a cross-economy reference point for scheme design, trust frameworks and interoperability. Delegates will also look at the leadership and co-ordination role of the refreshed Smart Data Council, and what these arrangements may mean for growth sectors and wider public policy objectives.
Open Banking, oversight & governance
Sessions will assess what experience gained from the development and implementation of open banking suggests for wider smart data initiatives. Discussion is expected on governance and infrastructure, the Future Entity’s proposed function as the standard-setting body for UK open banking, as well as co-ordination between government, regulators and industry.
Scheme oversight and accountability will also be examined as open finance is taken forward. Delegates will consider the FCA’s Open Finance Roadmap, particularly the development of priority use cases, options for future regulatory frameworks, and what will be needed to support compliance, operational assurance, consumer protection and interoperability between financial and wider smart data schemes.
Use cases, pilots, finance & infrastructure
Further discussion will assess the development of smart data use cases and pilots, with transport providing a timely example through the Department for Transport’s Transport Data Action Plan and the Fuel Finder service. Delegates will consider what these initiatives suggest for improving access to trusted sector data, developing data marketplaces and APIs, and testing consumer-facing and third-party services where data is currently fragmented across organisations, systems and modes.
Early experience from smart data implementation will be examined, including funding arrangements for schemes and pilot projects, investment in emerging smart data businesses, and approaches to scaling data-sharing infrastructure across the private sector and public services. Discussion is also expected on the role of Smart Data Research UK in providing secure access to data, alongside commercial and operational considerations such as workforce capability, alignment of new use cases with consumer and small firm needs, and the responsible use of AI in data sharing.
Consumer awareness & cybersecurity
The agenda also includes a focus on consumer awareness, confidence, consent, digital literacy, and participation in data-sharing arrangements. Attendees will consider what will be needed for individuals and businesses to understand and trust smart data services, alongside accreditation and certification arrangements for authorised third-party providers, and the requirements for operational resilience as schemes scale.
Discussion is also expected on cybersecurity and systemic resilience risks associated with scaled smart data deployment. Areas for consideration include technical and data standards, secure data-sharing platforms, compliance and enforcement mechanisms, and implications of increased API connectivity and interdependent third-party data infrastructures across sectors.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Commons and officials from the Department for Business and Trade; Department for Education; Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Home Office; Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency; Ofcom; the Welsh Government.
