TRoOGiverse

Overview

The TRoOGIverse is an innovative data application I co-developed as part of my role in the Tariffs, Rules of Origin and Geographical Indications (TRoOGI) team within the EU and International Trade Directorate. This interactive dashboard brings together complex trade datasets to empower policy teams with evidence-based insights, guidance, and self-serve tools.

It was built using R, Shiny, and GitHub Copilot to handle data engineering, automation, and visualization at scale. The app centralizes multiple analytical resources and includes interactive charts, teach-in videos, and explanatory material, enabling fast access to data on tariffs, rules of origin, and geographical indicators.

Context & Purpose

Under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), tariff-free access depends on meeting Rules of Origin requirements. Our team built the TRoOGIverse to analyze and visualize Preference Utilization Rates (PUR) across sectors and countries, helping policymakers assess how trade agreements are being used—and where there is potential for improvement.

TRoOGIverse supports colleagues in identifying underutilized trade preferences, evaluating sectoral trends, and understanding the economic implications of trade policy decisions.

My Contributions

• Built the Rules of Origin dashboard with an intuitive user interface and flexible filtering options (HS code, country, year).
• Created instructional videos to walk users through app features, improving self-service and accessibility.
• Developed interactive data visualizations with ggplot2, plotly, and leaflet for mapping trade flows.
• Automated data ingestion and transformation pipelines using data.table, dplyr, and Copilot-generated functions.
• Delivered teach-ins to policy colleagues, demonstrating how to explore the data and apply insights to real-world negotiations.

Key Data Science Skills Demonstrated

• Data Engineering: Cleaned and transformed HMRC trade data into a consistent, usable format for real-time dashboard use.
• Web Scraping & Automation: Used R and Copilot to pull live datasets from gov.uk and automate repetitive data processes.
• Interactive App Development: Built scalable, reactive UIs with Shiny, including map-based and time-series visualizations.
• Geospatial Analysis: Visualized trade patterns geographically using leaflet and custom regional boundaries.
• Communication: Produced video explainers and led interactive sessions to engage non-technical users.

Impact

The TRoOGIverse app has been widely adopted across the EUIT directorate and shared with Other Government Departments. It has improved the speed, consistency, and transparency of how evidence is used to inform UK trade negotiations. By enabling self-service access to high-quality analytics, it also upskills policy colleagues in interpreting data.

My work on the app, especially the Rules of Origin page, was recognized by leadership for its clarity, usability, and technical execution.