Digital Commons
The
Digital Commons is a forward-looking strategy for industrial
innovation in the digital age based on a first implementation at
lowRISC CIC in Cambridge.
Whereas
1.
We are living through
a hugely disruptive time akin to the industrial revolution
driven by everything on the planet acquiring a digital
representation
2.
There is a lack of a
UK vision or approach for delivering growth, technology
sovereignty, dealing with the haves and have-nots, as well the
fundamental risk of being excluded from technology platforms
3.
All aspects of the way
our society exists will completely depend on the data and the
platform used to deliver applications. This includes every kind
of manufactured item and is not restricted to software-only
situations
4.
Using the market or
money to buy the service may not be possible or desirable - the
NHS covid app is an example
5.
The direction of
travel towards the digital component being an indispensable part
of every kind of industrial activity is inevitable
A UK Digital Commons
1.
A set of
sector-specific digital infrastructure components actively
managed and of industrial-quality
2.
Consisting of data,
code, platforms, designs, tutorials - a kind of industrial
kit-of-parts akin to Wikipedia
3.
Crowded in, jointly
developed, and shared by participating entities as a basis for
(competing) downstream products
4.
Easy to use because of
industrial-level quality and no IP risk
5.
Available at low or no
direct cost to qualified entities: these can be categorised by
funding, regulation, industrial groupings, business goals,
political priorities, etc. Such entities will find it much
easier to innovate because they will have a head start and
concentrate on their proprietary innovative step
6.
Can be made fully open
to establish new markets, destroy current market structures, and
landgrab. This is a realistic (and possibly only) strategy for
the UK to grow large companies
7.
A public and (mostly)
private partnership
8.
Guaranteed to be
maintained in the same way as conventional infrastructure
9.
Declared as a UK
strategy and incentivised by government (of whichever
complexion)
Strategic Benefits
1.
Provides a much easier
innovation and growth path for UK business
2.
Deals with the
barriers to innovation presented by large monopolists
3.
Builds communities of
well-trained individuals and pools of know-how grounded in the
UK
4.
Provides a level of
technology sovereignty
5.
Equally accessible
from any part of the UK therefore deals with the haves and the
have-nots by default
6.
Manages the complexity
of digital systems including the cybersecurity attack surface
7.
Provides a framework
for standardisation, regulation, and legislation centred on the
UK
8.
Represents a
structurally novel approach at improving UK growth and global
positioning
Approach/Incentivisation/Governance
1.
Implemented by
industrial consortia to share burden of complexity, cost, and
maintenance
2.
Aggregated,
coordinated, and perpetuated using independent, not-for-profit,
fit-for-purpose, engineering companies - grounded in UK because
such companies cannot be bought
3.
Encouraged by tax
incentives such as Digital Commons tax credits (incentives for
companies to join and crowd in improvements)
4.
Available to
universities and public sector research establishments with
direct rewards for crowding in components
5.
Requiring some
government participation and funding to catalyse strategy and
ground it in the UK - a pure market solution will not happen
Example Sectors
About
a dozen sectors in the first instance for example:
1.
Silicon Commons and
Digital Trust - lowRISC CIC is a fully-developed existing
example
2.
AI Commons
3.
Energy Control and
Management Commons
4.
etc
Andy
Hopper
9 August 2023