NOAA Moves to Unleash “Big Data” and Calls Upon American Companies to Help

Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker called on private industry to partner with the Department of Commerce to help meet a Big Data challenge.

How can the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), part of the Department of Commerce, unleash the power and potential of our oceanic and atmospheric data in a quick and sustainable way? What kind of economic benefits would more environmental data provide to companies? What new products and services could arise as a result? These are the questions that the Secretary is calling upon American companies to help answer. That’s why we have released a Request for Information (RFI) to help us explore the feasibility of this concept and the range of possibilities to accomplish our goal. At no cost to taxpayers, this RFI calls upon the talents of America’s best minds to help us find the data and IT delivery solutions they need and should have. When we look at the number of businesses that rely on NOAA and the Department's data today, and the economic vitality they represent, we see tremendous potential to spur even more economic growth, create new industries, and promote job creation. The RFI is one step toward unlocking the power of NOAA’s number one asset – our data.

[Sullivan is Acting Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Acting NOAA Administrator]