The flagship ESRC Business and Local Government Data Research Centre will analyse smart data to provide better knowledge that will benefit society and empower business.
The project is being led by the University of Essex in partnership with UEA and the University of Kent (Eastern ARC), along with the London School of Economics.
The centre forms a key part of phase II of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Big Data Network.
It will make data, which is routinely collected by business and local government organisations, accessible to researchers in ways that safeguards individuals' identities.