The question

The British Geological Survey’s (BGS) National Geological Repository (NGR) is the UK’s principal archive of physical geological samples and subsurface data. It houses over 16 million geological samples and specimens, including more than 600km of drill core collected from boreholes and wells from around the UK and its coastal waters. 

Despite its scale and importance, the NGR is now full and in need of investment to boost storage capacity and expand the digitisation of its collections. Could we help BGS identify and articulate the economic value of the NGR, and show why it matters to government, academia and industry at a critical moment in the UK’s energy transition? 

What we did

Working closely with BGS, we developed an economic analysis that treated the NGR not just as a collection, but as national research infrastructure. We adapted our approach to capture the value of the collections in both their physical and digital forms, and to reflect how they are used across government, academia and the market. 

Our analysis focused on how access to this foundational data enables better decisions, supporting the UK’s transition to low-carbon energy, the management of natural resources, and resilience to environmental hazards. 

What happened

Our work gave BGS robust evidence to help change how funders, researchers and government think about the NGR. It reframed the NGR as a vital national resource for future generations – a critical asset for informing clean energy development, resilient infrastructure and better environmental decision-making.