Portrait

Data has been termed “the new oil”. The idea being that data is an indispensable resource that will serve the role that oil served in the 1900s. Data is viewed as an immensely valuable, but yet relatively untapped resource.

Public institutions and businesses can benefit substantially from the ability to base their functioning on these large amounts of data. However, the vast and increasing volumes of data render state-of-the-art solutions in computing ineffective and call for novel solutions that are capable of contending with the specific challenges of big data.The projects of NRP 75 will develop new technologies able to capitalize on the large amounts of data, e.g. by developing computing infrastructures capable of making effective use of big data, machine learning algorithms to analyse it as well as new security standards.

Big data is slated to have a profound effect on society. Questions on privacy and intellectual property rights are pressing. It is challenging to keep up regulatory measures with the changes in society that are brought on by technology.

In June 2015, the Swiss National Science Foundation was mandated by the Federal Council to carry out NRP 75 Big Data. The research projects will be realized between 2017 and 2021. The overall funding is CHF 25 million.