:Draft:Data and Analytics Facility for National Infrastructure
{{Short description|UK Government infrastructure computing platform}}
{{Draft topics|technology}}
{{AfC topic|stem}}
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{{Notability|1=Companies|date=August 2024}}
{{Orphan|date=August 2024}}
The Data and Analytics Facility for National Infrastructure (DAFNI) is a computing platform which supports advanced research into national infrastructure including transport, water, energy and city-scale modelling.{{Cite web |title=DAFNI aims high with analytics for infrastructure |url=https://www.ukauthority.com/articles/dafni-aims-high-with-analytics-for-infrastructure/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=UKAuthority |language=en}} DAFNI was established in 2017{{Cite web |date=2017-06-15 |title=Launch of the Data and Analytics Facility for National Infrastructure (DAFNI) - Innovate UK Business Connect |url=https://iuk.ktn-uk.org/news/launch-of-the-data-and-analytics-facility-for-national-infrastructure-dafni/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |language=en-GB}} and spent four years in development before launching in July 2021. {{Cite web |last=Reis |first=Alex |date=2021-07-07 |title=New platform to advance infrastructure research in the UK |url=https://www.europeanscientist.com/en/research/new-platform-to-advance-infrastructure-research-in-the-uk/ |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=European Scientist |language=en-US}} It brings together data, computing resources and expertise to support UK infrastructure research. It provides software allowing researchers to study complex infrastructure systems in cities, such a sewage systems or transportation networks.{{Cite journal |last1=Matthews |first1=Brian |last2=Hall |first2=Jim |last3=Batty |first3=Michael |last4=Blainey |first4=Simon |last5=Cassidy |first5=Nigel |last6=Choudhary |first6=Ruchi |last7=Coca |first7=Daniel |last8=Hallett |first8=Stephen |last9=Harou |first9=Julien J |last10=James |first10=Phil |last11=Lomax |first11=Nik |last12=Oliver |first12=Peter |last13=Sivakumar |first13=Aruna |last14=Tryfonas |first14=Theodoros |last15=Varga |first15=Liz |date=2023-09-01 |title=DAFNI: a computational platform to support infrastructure systems research |url=https://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/10.1680/jsmic.22.00007 |journal=Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Smart Infrastructure and Construction |language=en |volume=176 |issue=3 |pages=108–116 |doi=10.1680/jsmic.22.00007 |issn=2397-8759}} {{Cite journal |last1=Mijic |first1=Ana |last2=Dobson |first2=Barnaby |last3=Liu |first3=Leyang |date=2024-11-15 |title=Towards adaptive resilience for the future of integrated water systems planning |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-prisms-water/article/towards-adaptive-resilience-for-the-future-of-integrated-water-systems-planning/9EB19EB5BF209574044227C481A52EAE |journal=Cambridge Prisms: Water |language=en |volume=2 |pages=e11 |doi=10.1017/wat.2024.9 |bibcode=2024CPWat...2E..11M |issn=2755-1776}}The DAFNI Annual Conference is addressed by experts in these disciplines.{{Cite web |last=NIC |date=2019-06-10 |title='Data now as important to UK Infrastructure as concrete or steel' - Sir John Armitt speech to DAFNI |url=https://nic.org.uk/speeches/data-now-as-important-to-uk-infrastructure-as-concrete-or-steel-sir-john-armitt-speech-to-dafni/ |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=NIC |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Dr Ana Mijic to speak at DAFNI conference |url=https://www.imperial.ac.uk/events/180037/dr-ana-mijic-to-speak-at-dafni-conference/ |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=Imperial College London |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=Conference Speakers 2023 {{!}} Data & Analytics Facility for National Infrastructure - DAFNI |url=https://www.dafni.ac.uk/conference-speakers-2023/ |access-date=2024-10-24 |language=en-GB}}
Chair of the DAFNI Strategy Board is Jim Hal
History
In 2017, development began on DAFNI at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Didcot, with £8 million in UKRI/EPSRC funding. The platform was intended to support government and industry by modeling infrastructure systems such as transport, energy, water, and communications. Led by Jim Hall, the project’s first application was NISMOD (National Infrastructure Systems MODel), a modelling tool also used by the National Infrastructure Commission. A consultation was launched to assess user needs and address data access and security concerns.{{Cite web |date=7 July 2017 |title=Boffins start work on data centre to analyse UK infrastructure |url=https://www.theregister.com/2017/07/07/dafni_data_centre_to_analyse_national_infrastructure_systems/ |access-date=4 May 2025 |website=The Register}}
In 2019, Chancellor Philip Hammond identified DAFNI as an example of how advanced computing could support improvements in the resilience of UK infrastructure. Developed over four years by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the platform integrates data from multiple sources to model infrastructure systems using advanced visualisation tools. Hammond referenced DAFNI in commissioning a national study on infrastructure resilience, describing it as an opportunity to conduct “stress tests” of infrastructure networks and support evidence-based government decision-making.{{Cite magazine |date=30 November 2018 |title=Chancellor hails super software as improving UK infrastructure |url=https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/chancellor-hails-super-software-as-improving-uk-infrastructure-30-11-2018/ |access-date=4 May 2025 |magazine=New Civil Engineer}}
In 2023, UK Research and Innovation launched a £4 million virtual Centre of Excellence for Resilient Infrastructure Analysis, which uses the DAFNI platform. The initiative supports research into the resilience of UK infrastructure against threats such as climate change and pandemics. DAFNI’s data-sharing and modeling capabilities were cited as central to enabling collaboration between government, town planners, and researchers across the UK.{{Cite magazine |date=9 March 2023 |title=UKRI £4M centre of excellence to boost infrastructure resilience |url=https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/ukri-4m-centre-of-excellence-to-boost-infrastructure-resilience-09-03-2023/ |access-date=4 May 2025 |magazine=New Civil Engineer}}
Funding and Partners
From 2017 to 2021, DAFNI was funded by an UKRI EPSRC £8m investment in the UK Collaboratorium for Research on Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC) to provide infrastructure systems research capabilities.{{Cite web |last=Admin |date=2019-07-10 |title=Informed decisions |url=https://ccemagazine.com/news/informed-decisions/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Construction & Civil Engineering magazine |language=en-GB}} Since then, the DAFNI programme has received a £1.4m grant under EPSRC's Resource Only Strategic Equipment {{Cite magazine |last=Smart |first=Belinda |date=2023-08-25 |title=£1.4M announced for digital modelling projects that support infrastructure climate change resilience |url=https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/1-4m-announced-for-digital-modelling-projects-that-support-climate-change-resilience-in-infrastructure-25-08-2023/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |magazine=New Civil Engineer |language=en}} and in March 2023 UKRI awarded £4m to STFC Scientific Computing to establish a national Centre of Excellence for Resilient Infrastructure Analysis based on the DAFNI platform. Further UK Government funding was received in 2024.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-06 |title=Pilot projects will aid better and safer use of data in research |url=https://www.ukri.org/news/pilot-projects-will-aid-better-and-safer-use-of-data-in-research/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=www.ukri.org |language=en-GB}}
Institutions working with DAFNI include Imperial,{{Cite web |date=2023-08-29 |title=Resilience scenarios for Integrated Water Systems - £330K DAFNI funded project {{!}} Imperial News {{!}} Imperial College London |url=https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/247196/resilience-scenarios-integrated-water-systems-330k/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Imperial News |language=en}} University of Bristol,{{Cite web |last=Bristol |first=University of |title=August: Funding for climate change resilience project {{!}} News and features {{!}} University of Bristol |url=https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2023/august/funding-for-climate-change-resilience-project.html |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=www.bristol.ac.uk |language=en-GB}} Cranfield University,{{Cite web |date=2024-05-02 |title=Cranfield assesses UK aviation resilience |url=https://www.airportsinternational.com/article/cranfield-assesses-uk-aviation-resilience |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=www.airportsinternational.com |language=en}} UCL CASA {{Cite web |last=UCL |date=2023-06-27 |title=The DAFNI Hardware Fund powers CASA research on the impacts of major infrastructure projects |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/casa/news/2023/jun/dafni-hardware-fund-powers-casa-research-impacts-major-infrastructure-projects |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=The Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis |language=en}}, Newcastle University{{Cite web |title=Boosting the resilience of urban areas against floods |url=https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/latest/2023/08/floodresiliencefunding/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Press Office |date=25 August 2023 |language=en}} and University of Southhampton.{{Cite web |title=Research project: UKCRIC Strand C: Data Analytics Facility for National Infrastructure |url=https://www.southampton.ac.uk/engineering/research/projects/dafni.page |access-date=4 May 2025 |website=University of Southhampton}}
References
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{{Draft categories|
:Category:Infrastructure by country
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{{Drafts moved from mainspace|date=August 2024}}