In a recent episode of the ADR UK podcast *Connecting Society*, co-host Mark Green explores how data can be used to improve lives while minimising risks, focusing on lessons from the Netherlands. He speaks with Tom Emery, Executive Director of ODISSEI, a Dutch national initiative that links data from multiple sectors to address societal challenges.
ODISSEI itself does not own data but connects government departments, surveys, and research panels, creating a shared framework for secure data combination. This cooperative model reflects the Dutch “polder” approach, emphasizing collaboration for the common good, which became particularly important after the 2008 financial crisis to sustain infrastructure and research.
The Netherlands’ data governance is shaped by its history, including the misuse of population registers during the Nazi occupation in World War II. In the decades following the war, data systems were rebuilt for civic purposes, from public service planning to routine activities like banking, embedding safeguards, ethical standards, and practical utility. This has led to a cultural perspective where data is experienced as beneficial in daily life, contrasting with the UK’s focus on risk and control.
Tom Emery notes that while the UK cannot directly replicate the Dutch model due to its four-nation system, it can learn from the Netherlands’ collaborative and trust-based approach. Initiatives linking UK data show the value of coherence, alignment, and simpler access for researchers. He stresses that public support grows when data use is tied to tangible benefits for communities, highlighting the need for a cultural shift toward visible, human-centered applications of data.
The Netherlands’ experience demonstrates how public trust and civic utility can guide responsible data use, offering valuable insights for the UK as it develops more integrated and impactful data systems.
