This blog, written by Adam Milward, CEO and Co-Founder of MetadataWorks, looks at the company’s role within the ADR UK community and why it is proud to sponsor the ADR UK Conference 2025. MetadataWorks has partnered with ADR UK to build a secure and efficient data research ecosystem.
MetadataWorks functions as a key part of the engine room of ADR UK — working to make administrative data FAIRer (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reliable), supporting national efforts to build a coherent and ethical data research ecosystem.
Our expert team provides the tools and processes that make data more discoverable, usable, and impactful: federating datasets across organisations, streamlining access requests, and improving efficiency.
The result? Researchers spend less time, searching, organising and asking for access and more time ‘doing’ - harnessing the full potential of data for the good.
For the past three years, we’ve partnered with ADR UK to build a network of flexible metadata solutions that help the community to find, access, and manage data safely and efficiently. MetadataWorks’ platform is made for secure research environments and is used by thousands of researchers, analysts, and data managers across the globe to get the most impact from their data.
The platform offers:
It seamlessly connects with research hubs like ADR UK and Health Data Research UK, as well as individual organisations in the research network, making it easier for different teams in the community and key external organisations to work together securely.
Trusted by leading organisations including the NHS, Office for National Statistics (ONS), and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - as well as various Russell Group universities - MetadataWorks is currently delivering the ADR UK Data Catalogue. It is also supporting regional partners such as the ONS Secure Research Service, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA, part of ADR Northern Ireland), and Research Data Scotland.
We’re proud to be a Gold Sponsor of the ADR UK Conference 2025. Our mission is to make data more discoverable, interoperable, and trusted. These values are central to ADR UK’s work and core to this conference.
We’re delighted to support this flagship event, which aligns entirely with our ethos and unites the community working to harness the power of data for good.
We are hosting two workshops during the conference:
We hope our sessions provide both practical tools, solutions, and insight into the latest data best practices to help the ADR UK community unleash the power of their data. We also aim to facilitate discussions which could help shape future improvements around how data is managed across the community.
More broadly though, our team is looking forward to meeting with and learning from other data experts and users. We’ll hear the latest insights from policymakers and researchers (including Alex Buckley, Ester Bellavia, and Kim McGrail), as well as perspectives from leaders such as ADR UK’s Director, Dr Emma Gordon, and ADR Wales Co-Directors Stephanie Howarth and Professor David Ford.
Personally, I’m looking forward to “Exploring the roles and opportunities for a TRE in a federated world” to hear the latest thinking on data linkage, infrastructure, and research readiness.
Built hand-in-hand with researchers, MetadataWorks is tailored to the needs of the research community. We don’t retro-fit existing tools — we deploy customisable solutions that meet the unique needs of our partners. Our decades of expertise translate into rapid results, with many clients fully operational in less than 30 days.
Recently we developed a groundbreaking data access and research relationship management solution with the ONS Secure Research Service. This initiative is designed to simplify the data user journey at every stage, from finding and accessing data to using it effectively and delivering real-world impact.
If you’d like to learn more about how we might be able to help your organisation, visit us at metadataworks.ai.
The ADR UK Conference 2025 is set to be a key event for the data research community, bringing together experts, policymakers, and innovators to explore the future of administrative data research.
It’s an opportunity not only to showcase innovations but also to shape the future of federated data access and collaboration.
We’re proud to fuel this journey, and we look forward to working alongside you to unlock the full potential of administrative data for the public good.
To plan your visit and discover the full range of keynotes, workshops, and panels:
View the full conference programme