Small Data - Big Impact

Data mining and analysis has been dominated by Big Data, and in particular by Big Organizations. Businesses, institutions and governments examine our habits with an eye to commercial opportunities, advertising, welfare, health, fraud detection and security. But this leaves the critical arena of Small Data unaddressed - and the small looking at the small - individuals and single devices examining and exploiting their own data.

Consider a future of ubiquitous tagging, sensors, measuring and networked monitoring powered by the IoT. Many devices talking to each other at close range with little or no need of internet connection, and more network connections generated between things than those on the net. The implications for society (and for data analysis) are enormous:

Personal health/care, our food, physical activity, bodily response, and histories constitute an untapped catalogue of valuable information
Tagged food, health monitors, mobile apps, and new sensing devices are prime Small Data sources for the IoT
AI will create predictive environments involving everything we own and do to profoundly impact the way we live and work
We forecast a future of more network connections between things than those on the internet
Decentralization writ large with small data storage processing and analysis in localized devices and facilities appears to be the future

Dr Peter Cochrane OBE, BSc, MSc, PhD, DSc, CGIA, FREng, FRSA, FIEE, FIEEE, FITP Peter is a seasoned professional with decades of hands on management, technology and operational experience. Whilst at BT he progressed from linesman to R&D engineer, Head of Research and then CTO. His 1000 strong team engaged in studies spanning optical fibre, fixed and mobile networks, security, complex systems, AI, AL, future products, human behaviour and interfaces. Peter has also been employed in the defence, logistics, travel, retail, energy, healthcare, transport and pharma sectors. As an entrepreneur he has also engaged in the founding of many new companies and investments globally. He was appointed as the UK's first Prof for the Public Understanding of Science & Technology @ Bristol in 1998. Peter received the Queen's Award for Innovation & Export in 1990, numerous Honorary Doctorates, and was awarded an OBE (1999) for contributions to international communications.