£16 million data storage boost for Stockport biomedical database

Amazon Web Services (AWS) will provide £8 million of cloud computing storage access to Stockport biomedical database, UK Biobank, which has been match-funded with a further £8 million from the UK government.

The funding to upgrade how UK Biobank uses and stores its growing wealth of health data will support future research into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease.

Announced by Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle on 25th July, AWS will provide the biomedical database with $10 million in cloud computing credits, providing access to data storage as well as other services such as AI and machine learning, with the UK government matching the investment as part of UK Biobank’s public, private and philanthropic group set up.

The investment follows the establishment of a public-philanthropic consortium last year, backed by Google’s Eric Schmidt among others, which has so far seen the Stockport based organisation achieve nearly £50 million in backing.

Science Secretary Peter Kyle said:

“UK Biobank is helping researchers around the world tackle some of the biggest health problems facing humanity – from dementia to heart disease – by putting an unprecedented scale of information at their fingertips.

“This research is helping us develop the treatments that will improve and hopefully prolong all our lives.

“This contribution from Amazon Web Services – matched by government – will mean that UK Biobank has the cloud infrastructure it needs, to underpin such a vast undertaking. This is just the start of our plan to work hand-in-hand with industry and academia, to harness the power of life sciences to grow our economy and boost healthcare.“

Minister for Science Lord Vallance said:

“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. 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.

“Advances in science and health succeed best when we work together – and that applies to close partnership with the private sector, as well. Amazon Web Services’ contribution – recognising the unique value of UK Biobank’s work – shows the value these partnerships can unlock, and precisely why we want to build even closer relationships to tackle healthcare challenges and unlock growth.“

John Davies, Director, UK Public Sector at Amazon Web Services, said:

“We are delighted that UK Biobank is extending its use of the AWS Cloud to give approved researchers around the world access to the vital data that will support medical breakthroughs. UK Biobank has the largest dataset of whole genome sequences in the world, with data from an aging cohort that is almost 20 years old.

“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. 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.“

Professor Sir Rory Collins, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Investigator of UK Biobank, said:

“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. By bringing together so many researchers, with different viewpoints and questions, to investigate the data, we have a much better chance of helping improve the lives of everyone, everywhere.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:

“UK Biobank isn’t just a major asset for Greater Manchester’s health and life sciences sector – it’s one of the most important health research facilities in the world. Its database plays a vital role in enabling new discoveries that improve public health, and the work done there shows what can be achieved when academia, the public and private sectors come together and use their strengths to address some of our biggest healthcare challenges.

“It was a privilege to welcome the Secretary of State and Science Minister to Greater Manchester to show them some of the groundbreaking innovation and commercialisation happening here. We have an opportunity to be a global leader in health innovation and life sciences – growing our regional and national economy while leading work that transforms the health of the population.“

UK Biobank is the world’s most advanced source of data for health research, helping the life sciences sector to transform healthcare for people across the UK and worldwide. Currently based in Stockport, and set to move to a new purpose-built headquarters at Manchester Science Park in 2026, it is a major contributor to Greater Manchester boasting the largest concentration of biomedical health research in the UK outside the South East of England and heart of the North West’s life sciences cluster.