From Roads to Datasets: Translating Traditional Infrastructure PPP Models for the Digital Asset Era
Project Description
This project investigates how to adapt the proven contract models of physical Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to finance shared data infrastructure, such as open city data platforms or industry data exchanges. Traditional PPPs rely on tangible assets with fixed construction and clear usage metrics, but these concepts fail for intangible, evolving digital assets. This project will deconstruct a standard infrastructure PPP, systematically analyze its key components against the realities of a data infrastructure project. Recommendations will be provided for governments and investors to collaboratively build and fund essential data assets.
Supervisor
ZHANG Xueqing
Quota
3
Course type
UROP1000
UROP1100
UROP2100
UROP3100
UROP3200
UROP4100
Applicant's Roles
1. Conducting a comparative deconstruction of traditional infrastructure PPP contracts and systematically mapping their components to the unique requirements of digital data assets.
2. Creating a novel, adaptable framework of contractual principles and governance recommendations tailored for data infrastructure PPPs, addressing challenges of intangibility, evolution, and usage measurement.
3. Synthesizing findings into actionable guidance for governments and private investors to facilitate practical implementation and collaboration.
2. Creating a novel, adaptable framework of contractual principles and governance recommendations tailored for data infrastructure PPPs, addressing challenges of intangibility, evolution, and usage measurement.
3. Synthesizing findings into actionable guidance for governments and private investors to facilitate practical implementation and collaboration.
Applicant's Learning Objectives
1. To gain a deep, practical understanding of the legal and financial engineering behind long-term infrastructure contracts and the specific challenges of adapting them for dynamic, non-rivalrous digital assets.
2. To develop expertise in the nascent field of digital asset governance and financing, identifying the critical success factors for public-private collaborations in building open data platforms and exchanges.
3. To enhance the ability to translate complex, interdisciplinary research (spanning law, finance, and data policy) into clear, actionable recommendations for diverse, non-academic stakeholders in the public and private sectors.
2. To develop expertise in the nascent field of digital asset governance and financing, identifying the critical success factors for public-private collaborations in building open data platforms and exchanges.
3. To enhance the ability to translate complex, interdisciplinary research (spanning law, finance, and data policy) into clear, actionable recommendations for diverse, non-academic stakeholders in the public and private sectors.
Complexity of the project
Challenging