Eddie Copeland, Head of Policy Exchange’s Technology Policy Unit, sets out how a fragmentation of data within and between government departments, agencies and local authorities is hindering tech-powered public services from fulfilling its potential. For the real benefits of digital government to be achieved, open standards and common platforms across the public sector that allow data to be shared and analysed must be adopted.

Sarah Fink, Policy Exchange’s Technology Policy Research Fellow, examines the potential for embedding digital tools in the NHS. The key to doing so, she argues, is to create an infrastructure beyond simple ratings and reviews that ensure parents, carers and doctors are given confidence in their effectiveness.

Open data has huge potential, says Policy Exchange’s Head of Digital Government Eddie Copeland, but there is a danger that the benefits could be lost unless a new approach is taken.

Eddie Copeland, Policy Exchange’s Head of Digital Government, diagnoses the problems with care.data, the government’s attempt to combine GP and hospital records in a new central database. Eddie argues that the initiative is failing to make clear its benefits to individuals and suffers from a lack of trust.

As Policy Exchange’s Digital Government Unit launches a major piece of research into the policy challenges for the development of smart cities in the UK, Head of Unit Eddie Copeland invites those with expertise and interest in the field to contribute their views, ideas and case-studies.

Eddie Copeland, Head of Digital Government at Policy Exchange welcomes the return of Computer Science onto the school curriculum, adding that it has the potential to enable new and existing industries to flourish, expand and succeed in the global digital economy.