HAT Community Foundation Appoints Dr Irene Ng as Principal Fellow to Advance Data Economy Research and Innovation
Appointment marks a new chapter for the Foundation, bringing together 13 years of research to support the next generation of thought leaders and innovators in the data economy.
18 October 2026 — The HAT Community Foundation (HCF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Irene Ng as Principal Fellow, strengthening the Foundation’s commitment to advancing research, thought leadership and innovation in the emerging data economy.
In her new role, Dr Ng will lead the consolidation of a substantial repository of research, knowledge and intellectual contributions developed over the past 13 years through the Hub-of-All-Things (HAT) research programme and its wider academic and innovation community.
The repository will bring together academic publications, working papers, policy contributions, conceptual frameworks and practical insights into personal data, digital markets, data governance, institutional design and the economics of data-driven ecosystems. It will provide an accessible knowledge foundation for researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and innovators seeking to develop new approaches to the data economy.
Beyond preserving and organising this body of knowledge, Dr Ng will help build the Foundation’s capacity to nurture a new generation of thought leaders and innovators. Through mentorship, collaborative research and innovation programmes, and design workshops, the Foundation aims to bridge academic knowledge and practical experimentation, enabling new ideas to be translated into institutional arrangements, business models and real-world applications.
Commenting on her appointment, Dr Ng said:
I am very honoured to be appointed Principal Fellow of the HAT Community Foundation. Over the past 13 years, we have accumulated a substantial body of research into the economics, governance and architecture of the data economy. Consolidating this knowledge into an accessible repository will allow it to inform the next generation of data governance models, institutional structures and market innovations. I am particularly excited about creating opportunities for new researchers, thought leaders and innovators to build on this work, challenge existing assumptions and develop new ideas for a more human-centric data economy.
The initiative will be supported through HATLAB Studio, the Foundation’s research, learning and innovation community, bringing together academics, practitioners, policymakers and innovators. Activities will include the HATLAB Studio Paper Series, research collaborations, mentorship opportunities, educational programmes and design workshops addressing emerging challenges in data governance, digital sovereignty, personal agency and the creation of new data markets.
The appointment reflects the Foundation’s ambition to move beyond the stewardship of the HAT technology and its intellectual legacy towards becoming an active institution supporting the development of new knowledge, capabilities and innovations in the data economy.