UK Biobank receives new funding from AWS and Government

Last week [Wednesday 24 July], we were pleased to host the new Secretary of State for Science Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, and Minister for Science, Lord Patrick Vallance at our headquarters in Stockport, alongside senior representatives from Amazon Web Services (AWS).  

The visit coincided with the announcement that AWS is providing UK Biobank with $10 million (around £8 million) worth of cloud computing credits, which is matched by a further £8 million in Government investment. 

“In using AWS, UK Biobank is able to store this vast amount of health data securely, and scale up the data platform quickly and easily, as more data is added in the future” said John Davies, Director of UK Public Sector at AWS. 

“Using cloud infrastructure to store and access data will also help UK Biobank unlock the benefits of more advanced digital capabilities such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, which will further speed-up research advancements in healthcare,” continued John Davies.  

This new funding will help to ensure that our 30 petabytes of data remain secure and will continue to support researchers around the world to access the data.  

“While the UK is an enviable destination for life sciences research, tackling the profound challenges that diseases like dementia and cancer pose to society, and the economy, is simply too vast a task for any one country to face alone,” said Minster for Science Lord Patrick Vallance.  

“By giving approved researchers the world over, access to an unrivalled volume of health data, UK Biobank exemplifies how a collaborative approach to science can make both the UK and the world healthier and more prosperous,” continued Minister Vallance. 

This funding adds to the donations from a public-philanthropic Government consortium set up last year, meaning nearly £50 million of funding has been achieved for UK Biobank. 

“This contribution will make our participants very happy, as it means the data they have provided can be used by even more researchers around the world. We are truly grateful for this contribution from Amazon Web Services and the UK Government. This means vital data can be accessed by researchers from less wealthy countries, or who are starting out in research, as well as those at large universities, charities and companies,” said UK Biobank CEO Professor Rory Collins.  

Read the full press release from the UK Government’s Department of Science, Innovation and Technology here.  

This was featured in national media outlets, including The Mirror and Manchester Evening News.