HATLAB Studio Launches Smart Data Transformation Programme to Accelerate the Smart Data Economy
VENICE, 17 July 2025 – HATLAB Studio, a virtual co-creation hub for self-sovereign data ecosystems managed by Dataswyft in collaboration with the HAT Community Foundation, today announced the launch of its Smart Data Transformation (SDT) Programme – a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to help enterprises, micro/SMEs, and individuals harness the full potential of their data.
Led by Dr. Conor Farrington, incoming Director of HATLAB Studio, the programme will support 20 mid-sized businesses in converting siloed or underused customer data into high-yield digital assets that strengthen business models and enhance equity value through customer data ownership. It will also award 20 ecosystem grants to early-stage startups (Seed to Series A) to build smart data capabilities from the ground up.
The launch comes at a critical juncture, as rising regulatory pressure and public scrutiny push organizations to rethink how data is handled. Increasing demand for secure, portable, and responsibly managed data drives a global shift toward more transparent and ethical data ecosystems. According to global market reports, the smart data discovery and infrastructure sectors are projected to exceed USD 10 billion and USD 1 trillion by 2033, fueled by growing demand for intelligent, interoperable data and the infrastructure powering next-generation digital services.
Countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and members of the European Union are advancing smart data initiatives that give individuals greater access to and control over their personal data. In the U.K., the government has committed £36 million to accelerate smart data adoption, signaling a shift toward a more open, consumer-driven ecosystem. The United States, by contrast, is taking a market-led approach, primarily driven by private-sector innovation.
The UK Smart Data Group estimates that unlocking access to consumer data could generate up to £27.8 billion in economic value, underscoring the transformative potential of self-sovereign, interoperable data ecosystems that return ownership to individuals. This significant economic opportunity highlights that, beyond technology, the success of a smart data economy depends on creating investable data assets that attract capital flows, foster innovation, and generate long-term value.
“While many companies already treat data as a strategic asset, much remains locked in systems that limit its use or expose organizations to risk,” said Dr. Conor Farrington, director of HATLAB Studio. “This programme helps businesses turn that risk into opportunity by building responsible, interoperable data infrastructures that unleash economic value and give ownership to the individuals behind the data. It’s a model for how the next-generation digital economy should work,” he added.
The initiative unites capital, infrastructure, and data standards organizations to accelerate smart data adoption across sectors:
Innovorsa Group, led by Professor Irene Ng, supports the program through the Thornton–Altima Fund I, announced on 1 July 2025. This fund, one of three dedicated to advancing the Smart Data economy, will invest up to USD 40 million in eligible businesses participating in the program.
“We see smart data enabling a new class of digital assets – Self‑Custodied Data Assets, or SeCuDAs – where businesses can unlock data to create differentiated services and new sources of value, much like cloud and mobile did for computing. This fund backs companies recognizing the strategic advantage of interoperable, user‑empowered data systems,” said Jason Shong, principal at the Thornton-Altima Fund.Dataswyft contributes USD 500,000 in infrastructure support, providing data architecture and ecosystem design services to help up to 20 organisations develop high-yield self-custodied data assets for use within Dataswyft’s network.
“The market is demanding secure, programmable data services,” said Davide Ceper, senior director, Global Strategy and Growth, Dataswyft. “We are focused on enabling organisations to harness their data fully, securely, efficiently, and at scale through cross-sector partnerships. Many initiatives stop at creating verified credentials and use cases; what’s missing is the network to distribute them and drive impact. Our network plans to do exactly that,” he added.The HAT Community Foundation (HCF) will also provide funding to develop technical and legal standards for high-assurance self-custodied data assets such as national IDs, promoting global cross-border data portability and interoperability.
“If we want the smart data economy to scale, we need self-custodied data assets that are safe, secure, standardised, and portable. Our role is to ensure the network and the foundations it is built on, with the HAT Microserver, remain open, accountable, and built for broad, global participation,” added Professor Glenn Parry, co-founder and board representative of the HAT Community Foundation.
Dataswyft announced the Smart Data Program at CADE 2025, the International AI and Digital Economy conference in Venice. Chaired by Professor Carsten Maple of the University of Warwick, along with co-chairs Professor Jon Crowcroft, University of Cambridge and Professor Glenn Parry, University of Surrey, the event brought together leading policymakers, capital partners, and ecosystem stakeholders to discuss the future of data ownership and the smart data economy’s potential to benefit countries, especially low-income communities and micro/SMEs. To participate in this programme, email HatStudio Lab at hatlab@dataswyft.com.
About Dataswyft
Dataswyft is a distributed network company that enables individuals, businesses, and public institutions to store, manage, and license their data securely and independently. Spun out from years of academic research, Dataswyft operates the Dataswyft Network—a decentralized system of HAT Microservers that enables data portability, self-sovereign identity, and interoperability across platforms. As a foundational player in the emerging smart data economy, Dataswyft empowers responsible usage and data sharing between people, platforms, and systems. For more information, visit: www.dataswyft.com
About Innovorsa
Innovorsa is a global business incubation, family office management and investment group funding the platforms, policies, and capital structures that power the emerging smart data economy. Supported by a growing network of institutional partners, Innovorsa backs frontier technologies and data standards that empower individuals, realign economic incentives, and create new forms of data-driven value across sectors and geographies. The Thornton–Altima Fund is Innovorsa’s inaugural investment vehicle, part of a broader multi-fund strategy to accelerate the global transition to responsible, interoperable data ecosystems.
About HAT Community Foundation
The HAT Community Foundation (HCF) is a nonprofit organization committed to building a fairer, more human-centered digital economy by giving individuals meaningful control over their data. As the official oversight body for HAT Microserver technology, HCF ensures the ethical use, interoperability, and global portability of self-custodied data assets in the smart data system powered by HAT Microservers. It supports the development of open, consent-driven standards and invests in technologies and partnerships, such as the Smart Data Transformation Program, that enable responsible, user-centric data sharing across platforms and borders.
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