We should treat data as a natural resource. Here's why

While we have made some progress towards the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we need to work even more effectively together to create and scale approaches that address global inequalities and preserve our planet's precious resources. Part of being laser-focused on the SDGs means bearing in mind the transformative technologies that now underpin modern civilization and that will help drive solutions to these issues: the new digital frontier. This frontier is based on a single resource - data - and is underpinned by constant connectivity and the disruptive power of computing. Data generation is exploding, and mainly at the edge; our phones, cars, fridges, factories, medical equipment, fields and satellites are generating unprecedented amounts of data. The promise of the new digital frontier lies in our ability to extract actionable insights from this information. By leveraging data collected from connected platforms and devices, and by processing it at the edge, organizations can tap into critical insights that can inform quicker decisions – within digital classrooms, health centres or autonomous vehicles, for example – to make our world a better, safer place.