Robert Gordon University STRATEGIC STATEMENT: smart data technologies

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1 Robert Gordon University STRATEGIC STATEMENT: smart data technologies

2 Centre for Smart Data Technologies Data to Decisions for Oil And Gas RGU S Mission and Vision RGU s mission is to transform people and communities. It does this by ensuring that our discovery of knowledge and our dissemination of scholarship have the greatest possible economic, social and cultural impact. RGU s vision is to be recognised, in Scotland and beyond, as a distinctive university leading and shaping the debate on the future of higher education and placing students at the centre of the education it offers. It will be known for the impact of its teaching, scholarship and translational research, the employability of its graduates, its influence in the region and nation, its growing global profile, and its strong interdisciplinary focus on a small number of key questions and issues of concern to the local and global community. It will achieve its goals in partnership with academic, voluntary, public and business organisations that share its ideals and aspirations.

3 RGU S VISION FOR A CENTRE FOR SMART DATA TECHNOLOGIES An internationally renowned, industry-driven centre for innovation in big data analytics, recognised for the economic impact achieved by the synergistic partnership between its academic, IT industry, and Oil & Gas sector members. Aims and Objectives The aims of the Centre are Context to be recognised globally as a focus for collaborative R&D in the field of Big Data Analytics for the Oil & Gas sector; to build on the University s strengths in data modelling, smart information systems and knowledge management; and to enhance the University s reputation for translational research and professional training in line with its strategic emphasis on Oil & Gas. Its objectives include: to create an R&D hub that provides opportunities to grow close working relationships with leading operators and contractors to solve key technical challenges in the monitoring and management of subsea fields; to develop leading-edge intelligent analytics technologies for big data generated by subsea installations that supports high-value decisionmaking and enables knowledge retention in offshore exploration and production; to train a generation of competent data/information scientists to address the skills shortage and future opportunities in the industry; and to attract significant UK/EU funding to support a portfolio of joint R&D projects and to shape training programmes in this specialised area. Big Data is a general term relating to datasets that are characterised by the 3 Vs : high Volume of data, high Velocity of data generation, and high Variety from highly heterogeneous data and different sources. The Oil & Gas industry has identified a strong business need to make use of the vast data generated by exploration and production operations. The collection of data on each rig and through each pipeline provides terabytes of data daily. To date the industry has concentrated mainly on the 3 Vs but is now beginning to explore how it can use analytics to extract added value for increasing speed to first oil, enhancing production, reducing risks in Health & Safety and the environment, and reducing costs. Mining and analysing the data to seek new efficiencies is of high interest because even low efficiency gains are worth millions. A recent analysis expects the big data technology and services market for Oil & Gas to grow from $3.2bn in 2010 to $16.9bn in There is evidence of significant demand from industry for skills in the field of big data analytics, with forecasts showing demand for data science professionals increasing by 92% between 2013 and 2018, with 28k+ openings in the UK each year by The proposed Centre for Smart Data Technologies provides a collaborative hub involving academic and industry partners where purpose-driven research in data analytics technologies is transformed into demand-led innovative applications within the Oil & Gas industry. It exploits the industry s vast amounts of data to build intelligent tools that provide decision support for their demanding operational environments; develop knowledge about their challenging technology-focused industry; capture expertise to support their human operators; and underpin policies and practices in this highly regulated industry. The Centre will use a Joint Development model of engagement where expertise in data analytics technologies, together with Oil & Gas big data problems and opportunities, are shared across a network of industry partners. The partner network contains strategic IT partnerships, major companies from the IT or Oil & Gas sectors, and SMEs in the supply chain.

4 Strategic Fit Engagement Actions The Centre fits well with the University s Clear Future strategy. It builds on our established internationally excellent research base in both Computer Science and Information Management, and provides a means to achieve global recognition for ambitious translational research in a niche area that addresses key challenges for the Oil & Gas sector. The Centre aligns with our plans to develop a specialised Masters/CPD portfolio to support skills development in a professionally relevant discipline and to enable the supply of data scientists for an area of current and future demand. The Centre ensures a strong researchteaching synergy to enable intellectually challenging postgraduate training. RGU is recognised internationally for its research excellence in artificial intelligence applied to data modelling and mining, smart information systems, human factors and software systems in the IDEAS Research Institute; and information management through knowledge acquisition and learning, the impact of information/ knowledge, and solutions to information challenges in the IMaGeS Research Institute. We have good experience of working in partnership with industry and business to develop data analysis technologies, decision support systems and knowledge management solutions. We have close working relationships with the Oil & Gas supply chain through joint KTP projects that impact leading Oil & Gas majors, operators and contractors, and depict feasibility studies with SMEs. The NSRI ICAN study identified opportunities to use intelligent systems technologies to meet key technical challenges in the monitoring/management of subsea fields. RGU is a founding member and key player in the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA). We are central to The Data Lab a Data Science Innovation Centre, and its Oil & Gas hub based at RGU. We are also involved in the newly announced CENSIS Innovation Centre for Sensor and Imaging Systems, as well as the Oil & Gas Innovation Centre based in Aberdeen. We are integral to several Horizon knowledge exchange projects including Cloud Computing, Smart Tourism, and the Scottish Sensors Systems Centre (S3C). In parallel we are creating a global network with world leading academic groups of computational scientists working in the Oil & Gas domain. To address demand for IT specialists from the Oil & Gas sector, the School of Computing Science and Digital Media has just launched 2 Masters programmes: an innovative IT for the Oil & Gas industry, and its related Information and Network Security. A Masters in Data Science is planned for To establish the Centre for Smart Data Technologies for Oil & Gas, RGU will: provide initial pump priming to fund a core team of 5-10 dedicated to R&D focused on subsea applications of data analytics, comprising senior academics, research staff and PhD students, together with business development and administrative support; provide further strategic investment to underwrite funding for the core team to enable leverage to grow the Centre, through project funding from industry and external funding bodies; develop a network of industry partners including strategic IT partners, major IT and Oil & Gas partners, and SME partners; engage closely with a few key industry partners to develop a thorough understanding of the technical challenges faced, the constraints and complexities, and where most value can be gained from intelligent applications; create a portfolio of larger scale proof of prototype and joint R&D projects with industry funding; target funding sources jointly with industry partners for research and knowledge exchange, including UK research councils, EU Horizon 2020, and Technology Strategy Board; establish for an industry focused hub of the national Data Science Innovation Centre; undertake activities to promote and explain the capabilities and benefits of the research to industry (e.g. embedded research projects, industry-focussed dissemination, events; leverage the investment to build the long-term sustainability of a Centre comprising a team of 20-25, together with dedicated business development and administrative support. develop of a set of proof of concept projects to build meaningful relationships and collaborations for joint working;

5 This strategic statement is part of a series which provides information on the university s priorities in particular areas and reflects the university s strategy: A Clear Future for a leading university in a new era. It has been developed after a period of consultation which involved meetings with a series of external stakeholders. Designed by The Gatehouse-Design & Print Consultancy at RGU