At The Data Lab, we believe in a thriving, connected society powered by data and AI – where cross-sector conversations, creativity, and collaboration ignite and sustain the sparks of ground-breaking ideas, products and societal advances.

We created The Data Lab’s Impact Report, which is an overview of outcomes across our data and AI community, projects, skills programme, partnerships and events since our inception in 2014:

1. Our story
   A message from our CEO, Brian Hills
2. Key stats
3. Project map
4. Who we are
5. Milestones in our journey
6. Our mission: Creating a thriving, connected society powered by data
7. What we do
8. DataKirk: Upskilling ethnic minority groups in data
9. Grand Bequest: Saving Scotland’s history with data
10. Trade in Space: Monitoring supply chains with satellite data
11. Scottish AI Alliance: Leading Scotland’s AI Strategy
12. At a glance
13. Innovation
14. Social care case study: Blackwood Homes
15. Net Zero case study: IRT
16. Healthcare case study: AI-assisted capsule endoscopy
17. Manufacturing case study: SMDH
18. Knowledge exchange
19. Skills programme
20. The Data Lab Academy for MSc and PhD students
21. TVSquared: Recruiting talent through the MSc placements programme
22. PhD placements
23. Industrial doctorate studentships
24. Natural Power: PhD develops power forecasting excellence
25. Data Skills for Work
26. Skills programme
27. Online courses
28. Social Bite: Developing data skills to help as many in need as possible
29. The Data Lab Community
30. Partnerships
31. DataFest
32. Our future

Our Story

A message from our CEO, Brian Hills

As Scotland’s Innovation Centre for Data and AI, we’re uniquely positioned to support and incubate responsible innovation in data and AI across the public, private and academic sectors. We add value to relationships. We facilitate engagement and investment. We optimise impact, and we do this across Scotland and around the world.-h

With an extensive portfolio across innovation, skills and community, you may well already know us through programmes such as:

• DataFest, our international festival of data and AI, which includes flagship events like Data Summit and Data Talent, unmissable highlights in the tech and innovation calendar, attended by over 1,500 delegates annually.
• The Data Lab Community, our digital hub where over 3,500 members from 60+ countries come together to collaborate, learn and grow.
• The Data Lab Academy, our talent development and recruitment programme, which has already supported almost 1,000 Data Science and AI MSc students to gain the ‘real-world’ employability skills and experience in demand by employers.

The recent advances in generative AI have placed data and AI in the global spotlight; from rapidly increasing investment in interdisciplinary research to ethical discourse, and public engagement to projected seismic shifts in our skills base and global economy. There can be no doubt, data and AI will play a central part in all of our futures and that of generations to come.

60 years ago, Scotland led the world in pioneering AI research at the University of Edinburgh. Today, Scotland has the potential to lead the world in the responsible application of data and AI technologies to benefit both our society and economy. From health and social care to manufacturing, financial services to the creative sector and many others, there are huge opportunities to leverage these technologies responsibly to benefit our economy and society.

I very much hope that you will join us in the next exciting stage of our journey towards creating the world’s most impactful data community.

Key stats

Innovation and adoption

• £200M additional revenue generated
• 1,350+ jobs created and safeguarded
• £90M R&D funding won with Scottish, UK and EU consortia
• 145+ collaborative R&D projects with universities and colleges Skills and talent
• 1,000 MSc students supported with sector-specific skills training
• 450+ MSc and PhD industry placements completed
• 650+ people upskilled in data in the Edinburgh City Region
• 80,000+ people registered for online courses we have created or funded

Community and events

• 3,500+ members in our online data community from 60+ countries
• 1,500+ companies, public sector organisations and universities in our network
• 1,500+ delegates attend DataFest, our international festival of data and AI, each year

“[The Data Lab have] acted as a front-door and a connector across the various different public, private and third sector groups, and provided us with a way to effectively navigate and network across this group. This has enabled us to connect with potential new clients, engage new potential employees and develop our people with valuable skills for the future. We have also seen some of our most successful talent come through The Data Lab’s MSc programme.”

Mark Byrne
Scotland Applied Intelligence Lead, Accenture

Project map

1. Shetland Northern Isles Ferry Service: Data-driven ferry transport model for the Shetland Islands.
   
   The Data Lab supported Shetland’s transport authority, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University to build a data-driven transport model to explore the interplay between freight and passenger demand, including seasonal variations and forecast growth trends.
   
   
2. NHS Highland: Colon capsule endoscopy innovation in early bowel cancer.
   
   Supporting health researchers to develop and roll out colon capsule endoscopy across the NHS in Scotland, using a smart camera pill which, once swallowed by a patient, records images of the intestines as it passes through. Building on this success, a consortium of 12 partners across Europe has received a €6 million Horizon Europe grant to work towards eliminating the current medical, technical, and economic barriers to adopting AI-supported Image Analysis in Large Bowel Camera Capsule Endoscopy (AICE).
   
   
3. Smart Manufacturing Data Hub: Enhancing productivity and competitiveness in UK manufacturing.
   
   The Data Lab partnered with 11 other organisations to create the Smart Manufacturing Data Hub (SMDH) led by Ulster University, a £53.8m innovation hub to benefit the UK manufacturing sector.
   
   
4. Blackwood Homes: Smart independent living.
   
   Funded by The Data Lab, researchers from University of Edinburgh worked with Blackwood Homes to build homes and create communities, enabling vulnerable and frail individuals to live more independently using cutting-edge assisted technologies – from the award-winning SMILE project using smart meter data to infer health and wellbeing measures, and the ongoing Peoplehood project trialling smart neighbourhoods for independent living.
   
   
5. IRT: helping housing developers make their property portfolio more energy efficient.
   
   Funded by The Data Lab, researchers from Robert Gordon University worked with IRT, a Dundee-based thermal imaging company, to allow them to develop automated cropping of thermal images using AI to reduce heat loss in homes and support Scotland’s net zero strategy.
   
   
6. Scottish Canals: Regeneration of canals and rivers improves community health.
   
   Funded by The Data Lab, researchers from Glasgow Caledonian University worked with Scottish Canals on a study exploring the health impact of the Forth and Clyde Canal regeneration. The canal’s revival contributed to lowering risks of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease and also reducing the effects of deprivation and poverty on mental health in the community around the canals.

Who we are

Founded in 2014 as part of Scotland’s Innovation Centre programme, The Data Lab is Scotland’s innovation centre for data science and AI. Our goal is to deliver social and economic impact for Scotland by creating pioneering collaborations across industry, academia and the public sector in data and AI adoption, innovation and skills development.

The benefit of data and AI to Scotland and the UK is considerable, and relationships are vital to unlocking this potential. We have changed how private, public and third-sector organisations collaborate with academia to leverage world-class research and talent a across Scotland’s universities. Funded by the Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Government, we are hosted by the University of Edinburgh with hubs in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness.

Milestones in our journey

• 2014: The Data Lab is born.
• 2015: First Masters cohort of 40 students at Robert Gordon University, University of Dundee and University of Stirling.
• 2016: First Data Talent event takes place.
• 2017: DataFest, our festival of data and AI innovation, launches.
• 2018: The Scottish Government’s Data Science Accelerator Programme is successfully piloted.
• 2019: Data for Children Collaborative with UNICEF launches.
• 2020-22: TORCH SME adoption programme helps businesses leverage their data.
• 2020: Data Skills for Work programme launches to help upskill workers in the Edinburgh City Region.
• 2021: The Scottish AI Alliance is formed from the launch of Scotland’s AI Strategy.
• 2021: The Data Lab Community, our digital hub, goes live.
• 2022: First AI Summit and Scottish AI Playbook delivered by Scottish AI Alliance.
• 2022: The Data Lab Skills Academy and Partnership programmes are launched.
• 2023: Smart Manufacturing Data Hub launches to help UK manufacturing SMEs boost their productivity.
• 2023: Space Data Net Zero Challenge launches with 11 companies selected to demonstrate space- based solutions to help various sectors accelerate their transition to Net Zero.
• 2023: Scottish AI Register and “Living with AI” online course launched by the Scottish AI Alliance.
• 2024: The Data Lab celebrates 10 years!

Our mission: Creating a thriving, connected society powered by data

Our vision

Our vision is to create the world’s most impactful data and AI community. This is anchored in two themes:

1. Collaboration: Facilitating collaboration across industry, academia and the public sector in Scotland and internationally to pioneer new opportunities from ground-breaking consortia to helping SMEs accelerate their business and the development of new skills programmes.
   
2. Inclusion: Scaling the opportunity for individuals and companies to succeed in the digital economy through our community – both physical events and The Data Lab Community, our digital platform.

Our purpose

At The Data Lab, our purpose is to change lives and make Scotland a more productive economy and sustainable society by transforming how we use data and AI.

To make this happen, we:

1. Discover opportunities: creating pioneering collaborations in areas such as Health and Social Care, Manufacturing, Digital and NetZero in Scotland and beyond.
2. Connect people and ideas: providing physical and digital platforms to grow our community and enable them to succeed through collaboration and learning.
3. Develop knowledge and experience: delivering a comprehensive programme through our The Data Lab Academy to help those from apprentices to university students, employees to leaders develop their skills to be successful in the digital economy.

Our values

We strongly believe that how we achieve our goals is of equal importance to what we achieve, and our values of Support, Respect, Innovation and Growth are at the heart of everything we do. We partner with organisations that share our vision and values to create the world’s most impactful data community.

Culture is at the heart of our work. We want to create opportunity and change lives both for those we work with and our own team members. We invest in our people and encourage everyone in the organisation to take advantage of the opportunities available to them, from flexible working to professional development training and more.

I believe companies have a responsibility to their employees to ensure that they create a culture that benefits all and not the few – and one that also rapidly evolves working practices in an ever-changing world.

Manolo Perez, Director of Operations and Finance at The Data Lab

What we do

We are accelerating our nation’s ability to use data and AI to turbo-boost economic growth and transform our society to increase the fairness of opportunity so everyone benefits.

Our programmes of work enable the adoption of data and AI, grow the tech talent pool and drive innovation, leveraging the research excellence of our universities.
Community is at the core of what we do and will enable scale both through the deep pioneering collaborations we create to deliver our programmes and a focus on inclusion across Scotland and internationally with our digital platform, the TDL Community.
The following case studies showcase how The Data Lab is supporting data and AI adoption, talent, innovation and community to:

• Help transfer knowledge from our universities to enable SMEs to enter new global markets,
• Lead large-scale national programmes to maximise the opportunity of AI,
• Collaborate to help create opportunities for marginalised groups to grow their skills and create new opportunities for employment, and
• Enable startups to adopt data and AI technologies, connecting them to the supply chain to develop their products.

DataKirk: Upskilling ethnic minority groups in data

Founded in 2019, DataKirk aims to close the data divide and increase the representation of disadvantaged groups in the data economy. We spoke with Fash Fasoro, Founder of DataKirk and MSc alum, about how The Data Lab has supported them.

The Challenge

In 2015, Fash was among the first students to receive data sector-specific employability and skills training in The Data Lab’s MSc programme. A few years later, he founded DataKirk to address the data divide he witnessed whilst working in the homelessness sector – which was far behind other sectors like banking in providing digital solutions. Black ethnic minorities are deeply rooted in care and support work, often in jobs at risk of redundancy from automation.

Fash wanted to ensure that future generations were included in the changing world of work and created an after-school club to empower children to gain the data literacy skills needed to be part of the digital economy.
However, he also received interest from parents, so he created short courses.

“The Data Lab was well aware of the societal issues and the barriers we are facing in the [black] community.”

The Outcomes

DataKirk is now delivering SQA- accredited data skills training to ethnic minority groups as part of our Data Skills for Work outreach programme. As well as funding an MSc placement with DataKirk, Scottish Government SME Impact Funding enabled us to support DataKirk in delivering a Data Analytics for Business Decision-Making course. This provided 17 learners from BAME communities living and working in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Falkirk, West Lothian, and Stirling, who were underemployed or earning below £24,000, to participate in the training.

As part of DataFest 2022, The Data Lab supported DataKirk to launch Scottish Black Talent Summit, connecting black talent, recruiters, employers, and policymakers, with over 200 delegates in attendance.

The Solution

The Data Lab supported DataKirk to expand their reach by getting the courses officially accredited. Ensuring their courses were SQA accredited would help raise their profile and improve the employability of those who complete the course.

“Wewouldn’tbeabletohavea smooth running organisation without the influence and support of The Data Lab”

Grand Bequest: Saving Scotland’s history with data

Founded in February 2020, Grand Bequest Ltd aims to save vacant buildings to be redeveloped and put back into use. We spoke with Katherine Gunderson, Founder and CEO of Grand Bequest, about the difference that The Data Lab has made for them.

The Challenge

Up until now, the process of reusing buildings has been disconnected. In a bid to tackle the current system and the number of old buildings currently falling into disrepair, property tech company Grand Bequest wanted to help homeowners and city councils overcome the financial and operational obstacles of restoring historical real estate to its former glory.

The COVID pandemic was a very rocky time to be starting a business.
Katherine had already established Grand Bequest as a B Corp but was aware that they needed a data platform and required technical expertise to take the idea forward.

The Solution

The Data Lab developed a technical roadmap to turn Grand Bequest into an integrated, modern data platform – making it much more accessible. Getting connected to the right suppliers, finding funding and data expertise was essential to scale the business.

The Outcomes

Funding and guidance from The Data Lab allowed Grand Bequest to trial different software and undertake data science training – gaining critical learnings in the early days of the company. They received support with promotion, networking, as well as guidance on navigating the Scottish funding landscape to find the cash needed to build the product.

Following an introduction by The Data Lab, Marc van Neerven joined Grand Bequest as Chief Technology Officer who helped to move their database onto the new integrated Azure platform.

Participating in The Data Lab’s MSc and PhD placement programmes introduced data analytics and statistical knowledge to the company. It has allowed them to go from a start- up founded just before the pandemic to being a team of eight individuals – all working together to promote the redevelopment of the many vacant buildings that exist in Scotland and give them a new lease of life.

“The Data Lab […] really believed in how data could be used to solve this social problem.”

“I have been able to get grant funding, people and PR. The Data Lab is like my fairy godmother!”

Trade in Space: Monitoring supply chains with satellite data

Trade in Space makes global trade in soft commodities (such as coffee, cocoa, sugar, corn, wheat, and soybeans) more ethical, sustainable, and accessible. We spoke with Robin Sampson, Founding Director at Trade in Space, about the impact and value that The Data Lab has had for them.

The Challenge

Trade in Space had big ambitions and knew what they wanted to achieve was possible – but they needed support to understand and implement the technology and data sets and business support to make their ideas come to life. Specifically, Trade in Space was in talks with a huge global coffee trading business who challenged them. It was a huge moment for Trade in Space. Robin knew that their idea was possible but equally knew that their small team couldn’t go at it alone.

The Solution

With support from The Data Lab, they could define and implement technical solutions, and support their next steps in pitching and client acquisition to ensure the work that was put in front of this major client was top-notch.

The Data Lab funded research experts at the University of Edinburgh to create a report on the art of possible regarding modeling satellite and climate data, including an understanding of data requirements with an aim to demonstrate the value of predicting yield under various scenarios, and developing an age model from data and soil variability to understand the impact of environmental issues. The Data Lab also assisted in creating a data set used to train a machine learning tool to identify different types of coverage.

The Outcomes

Not only was the client satisfied that Trade in Space were worth the investment, but they also made a seed investment, citing their reason for investment as Trade in Space’s ability to problem solve and leverage the support of the local community. This client is now worth over six figures annually to Trade in Space.

“I don’t know where we would be now today if we hadn’t had support from The Data Lab.

We were against the clock to prove something to a major client that changed our life as a business, and we couldn’t have done it on our own.

I don’t think it’s too much to say that we might never have really gotten started as a business without the support from The Data Lab.”

The Data Lab has also helped them with networking, recruitment, data analysis, strategic planning, funding and connecting them to the local tech and business ecosystem. Beyond transactions, Trade in Space is now embedding sustainability data in their work to support sustainable, eco- friendly and transparent trading.

Scottish AI Alliance: Leading Scotland’s AI Strategy

We supported the development of Scotland’s AI Strategy and are now working in partnership with the Scottish Government in its delivery through the Scottish AI Alliance. Launched in March 2021, the strategy sets out the vision for Scotland to become a world leader in the development and use of trustworthy, ethical, and inclusive AI.

The Challenge

Scotland’s AI Strategy defines AI as: “technologies used to allow computers to perform tasks that would otherwise require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, and language translation.”

The impact of AI on our lives is already significant. From powering smartphones to improving healthcare and detecting fraud – AI is reshaping society and revolutionising industries.

Scotland is already punching above its weight in the world of AI through the success of our universities and businesses, and visionary government policies fostering innovation. But we need a clear vision of where AI is taking us if we are to realise its true potential.

The Solution

Scotland’s AI Strategy was developed through extensive consultation and engagement with the people of Scotland with the vision for Scotland to become a world leader in the development and use of trustworthy, ethical, and inclusive AI.

Responsible, ethical and inclusive development and ongoing research are pivotal to harnessing the potential of AI while safeguarding against its risks.

The Scottish AI Alliance is committed to promoting public awareness, facilitating dialogue, and fostering collaboration to ensure the responsible and beneficial deployment of AI in Scotland and beyond.

The Outcomes

Great progress is being made in delivering the actions and working towards the Strategy’s vision.

The Scottish AI Alliance has hosted two annual AI Summits, bringing together stakeholders from Scotland and beyond to get involved in a wide range of discussions and workshops centred on trustworthy, ethical and inclusive AI.
The Scottish AI Playbook, an open and practical guide to how we do AI in Scotland, was launched in 2022. It is a shared and living asset, embodying the ethos of openness, transparency and collaboration.

The Scottish AI Register went live in early 2023, providing information on, and an opportunity for interrogation of, the AI systems in use or in development within Scotland’s public sector.

Both the upcoming “Living with AI” online course and communities engagement programme aim to empower people with knowledge about AI to enable them to actively contribute, constructively and critically, to the discourse around AI and how it is used in our lives and society.

At a glance

We are often asked, “How has The Data Lab delivered so much impact with the limited resources you have?”. Our culture of delivery is anchored in a passion for both helping others succeed and for collaborating with like-minded partners to deliver.

In this section, we summarise the key outcomes across our focus areas of Innovation, Skills and Community, whilst showcasing practical examples from each of these areas.

Innovation

Collaboration is at the heart of what we do. So far, our work collaborating with industry has resulted in:

• Nearly £200M and over 1,350 jobs generated from 145+ projects where The Data Lab has funded academic expertise to collaborate with industry. Themes include healthcare, climate change, fintech, manufacturing and more.
• Delivering large national and international projects such as Scotland’s AI Strategy, Data for Children Collaborative with UNICEF, the European consortium AICE to develop AI-assisted colon endoscopy, and we are leading the data science strand of the UK Smart Manufacturing Data Hub.
• 300+ SMEs supported in post-Covid data & AI adoption through leadership training, upskilling and reskilling, technical support and community access.

The following case studies highlight our work across social care, Net Zero, health care and manufacturing.

Social care case study

Blackwood Homes: Smart neighbourhoods for independent living

Blackwood Homes provide a range of accessible housing. They partnered in a consortia with The Data Lab to build homes and communities, enabling vulnerable and frail individuals to live more independently using cutting-edge assisted technologies.

The Challenge

Blackwood Homes have the vision to build homes that enable people with illnesses like Alzheimer’s to live more independent lives using new innovative assisted technologies. They aimed to co-create attractive homes and neighbourhoods for independent living, promoting healthy and happy lifestyles. They wanted to co-design and test new ideas with real people and learn together what it takes to develop thriving neighbourhoods of the future.

The Solution

Partnering with The Data Lab, Canon Medical, the University of Edinburgh, our sister Innovation Centre CENSIS and car rental giant Enterprise, they attended meetings and workshops seeking funding to build on the success of the SMILE project (part-funded by The Data Lab), which demonstrated how smart meter data can be used to infer many health and wellbeing measures. This project de-risked further investment into solutions designed to facilitate the switchover from analogue to digital care systems.

The Outcomes

The Data Lab assisted Blackwood Homes and the consortia to secure funding from UKRI’s Healthy Ageing Trailblazers challenge – the only funded project in Scotland – to create neighbourhoods for independent living.

This ongoing project is being trialled in three Scottish neighbourhoods, and all signs point to the ability to provide an additional five healthy years, in line with the mission of the funding. New products and services have been launched, which build on work done with SMILE to now form CleverCogs™, a bespoke digital care and support system aiming to improve quality of life, tackle digital exclusion, and transform social care practice. The engagement levels across the regions within this project have been strong and we are working with partners to establish how this can be rolled out nationally and across private care and social care services.

“Working in partnership is key to delivering an exemplar project and we believe it has been vital in our work to create a future-proof model that will allow people to live healthier and happier for longer.”

Simon Fitzpatrick, Development and Commercial Director, Blackwood Housing and Care on the Peoplehood project.

Net Zero case study

IRT: AI-automated image cropping to estimate heat loss in homes

Dundee-based IRT is a thermal imaging company that helps housing developers and associations make their property portfolio more energy efficient. They partnered with The Data Lab and Robert Gordon University to automate the cropping of thermal images via AI to reduce heat loss in homes and support Scotland’s net zero strategy.

The Challenge

Since 2002 IRT has surveyed over 350,000 homes across the UK and helped hundreds of housing professionals plan retrofits to make their homes more energy efficient. The organisation has a unique framework to process and analyse thermal images to estimate the heat loss in homes, capturing between 300- 500 properties per day, but currently relies on staff to manually process and prepare images for analysis – which includes amongst other things removing unwanted elements such as windows and doors (where currently reflections could be confused for heat loss), or neighbouring houses and cars.

The Solution

The Data Lab funded knowledge exchange activity with Robert Gordon University and Dundee-based thermal imaging firm IRT enabling them to develop and use AI to optimise their processes and improve productivity. The project focused on developing AI- based software to automatically remove redundant objects including trees and cars from its thermal image scans, saving the organisation significant time per year in manual cropping processes.

The solution will allow the IRT team to accelerate their existing capability in the decarbonisation of the built environment, improving housing stock. This is in line with Scottish Government policy to address fuel poverty and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Outcomes

As a result of the project IRT are now developing AI tools to enable them to process thermal images at scale – making it up to 10x faster for IRT’s team to analyse images, freeing up staff time to focus on analysing the processed data and speeding up their service to customers. These will be included in its cloud-based software (DREam) helping users assess their housing portfolio for energy performance, recommending approaches to retrofits and providing information on available grants to fund retrofit activity.

Following this work IRT and now engaging with the BE-ST IC and exploring an opportunity to work with the Robertson Group and University of Dundee on a project to analyse and reduce heat loss across the University’s entire estate.

Healthcare case study

AI-assisted capsule endoscopy: Innovation in early bowel cancer detection

An international collaboration project between The Data Lab, NHS Highland, our sister innovation centre DHI and European partners is using AI to help clinicians to spot the early warning signs of bowel cancer to save lives and reduce pressures on the NHS.

The Challenge

Bowel cancer is the second-most common cause of cancer death in Scotland, with around 1,600 people dying of the disease each year.

The current detection method of a colonoscopy involves inserting a tube with a camera into a patient’s colon that travels around the large bowel (colon). This procedure allows doctors to check for cancer. It is a painful and uncomfortable procedure for patients.

The Solution

Scottish health researchers are at the forefront of a €6m project, led by the Centre for Clinical Implementation of Capsule Endoscopy at Odense University Hospital, to make Artificial Intelligence-assisted capsule endoscopy a part of bowel cancer diagnostics. It will make detection less invasive for patients and potentially reduce the capacity pressures the NHS are experiencing.

Clinical Capsule Endoscopy (CCE) utilises a ‘smart pill’ containing cameras which, once swallowed by a patient, record images of the intestines as it passes through.

Initial investment from The Data Lab procured our data scientists to build a model to identify potential patients with a successful colon capsule endoscopy versus the more invasive traditional colonoscopy method.

The Outcomes

The diagnostic procedure is being rolled out across NHS Scotland through the ScotCap programme to support endoscopy service remobilisation.

Expected benefits include earlier initiation of treatment, less advanced staged cancers, fewer complications related to the diagnostic procedure, better patient acceptability and compliance and a significant reduction in costs from both diagnostics and treatment. It also has the potential to reduce the capacity pressures NHS health boards across the UK are experiencing.

This project could change colonoscopies for good and save our health systems a great deal of funding while efficiently managing the backlog of patients. The project poses a new way of treating patients with options for at-home treatment.

“Harnessing innovative technology to support the day-to-day management of patients is becoming increasingly recognised as one way that the NHS can deal with the significant challenges that it faces today.“

Professor George Crooks OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre

Manufacturing case study

SMDH: Enhancing productivity in UK manufacturing

The Data Lab partnered with 11 other UK organisations to create the Smart Manufacturing Data Hub (SMDH), a £53.8m innovation hub to benefit the UK manufacturing sector.

The Challenge

The UK manufacturing sector faces significant challenges in adopting data- driven strategies to enhance productivity and competitiveness, particularly for SMEs. The lack of data literacy and expertise can hinder the adoption of new technologies and innovation, thus limiting growth and innovation potential.

The Solution

In collaboration with other organisations, The Data Lab is leading the development and rollout of the Data Analytics work package to enable non-data literate industries and sectors to transform. The longer-term view is to create a skills programme to help traditionally non-data roles transition to data-powered roles.

Through problem articulation to training and system design, upskilling will benefit everyone, from floor workers to senior management, creating a thriving ecosystem of data- powered teams. Additionally, The Data Lab is creating an online community to connect manufacturers across the UK and internationally, allowing them to access and exchange data and analytics packages that can help them cut down on their emissions, improve productivity and reduce waste by adopting new techniques and application of data science.

The Outcomes

The Data Lab’s ongoing involvement in SMDH includes coordinating organisations’ direct access to and assistance from data scientists, extending the reach for participating firms to work with UK cutting-edge platforms, facilities and systems, and championing data skills through knowledge exchange workshops and online learning content.

Ultimately, SMDH will benefit nearly 10,000 manufacturers across the UK, with an expected creation of 13,000 jobs, helping to boost economic growth and support the government’s level-up strategy. The hub will be backed by
£20 million of funding from the £300 million UK government-backed Manufacturing Made Smarter programme, which aims to boost UK manufacturing productivity by 30% by 2030 through investment in data- powered projects.

“Many SMEs don’t have data capabilities. They don’t have this culture to use data. We are helping them to understand the potential of using data”

Saleh Seyedzadeh
Principal Data Scientist of the Smart Manufacturing Data Hub, The Data Lab

Knowledge exchange

In order to innovate and harness the power of data and AI, we must bridge the gap between industry and academia. Since our inception in 2014, our collaborative projects have brought together thirteen Scottish universities with SMEs and larger organisations, connecting academic experts with businesses across various industries and giving students the opportunity to make a real-world impact.

Above: A basic map of Scotland, with data points corresponding to the locations of the 14 universities that The Data Lab collaborate with: UHI, University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University, University of Dundee, Abertay University, University of Stirling, UWS, University of Glasgow, GCU, University of Strathclyde, University of St Andrews, University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh Napier University.

Skills programme

“At The Data Lab, we focus on ensuring people in Scotland have access to the tools and resources needed to succeed and grow the economy. Addressing the data skills gap can feel like a significant hurdle to overcome for both industry and academia.

However, there are many routes and pillars of support available for individuals and organisations to learn how they can work collaboratively to address the challenge, develop their skillsets and understand the potential impact of data and AI in driving value for organisations and changing lives for the better. “

Heather Thomson, Director of Skills & Talent at The Data Lab

Our Skills programme offers opportunities for everyone to thrive in an AI- and data- driven economy. We offer formal, vocational, and executive educational routes to ensure the best reach and impact. We support Data Leaders to drive value from data and AI and source the right mix of skills to enable data-driven decision-making and deliver data-driven innovation.

We are providing development opportunities for Data Professionals and preparing a future generation with the technical and business skills that the industry needs through our unique programmes which are designed to be inclusive and accessible.

Data Workers and Data Citizens can upskill through the Data Skills for Work programme, helping them to adapt to the demands of increasingly digitised, automated and data-driven workplaces, with funding available for under- represented groups including women, people with a disability, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, and neurodivergent individuals to support upskilling.

“Thanks to the rigorous training and practical exposure I received during the MSc program, I have successfully secured a position in my dream job as a Data Analyst. This achievement would not have been possible without the solid support I received from [The] Data Lab.”

Afreen Fatima, MSc in Data Science at Robert Gordon University, Class of 2023.

“I want to thank the team at The Data Lab Academy for their priceless webinars, personal consulting, great events and competitions, motivation and networking. They really enhanced my learning experience, and they’re building a strong Data Lab Community in Scotland.”

Aliaksei Auhustsinovich, MSc Data Engineering Edinburgh Napier University Class of 2023.

The Data Lab Academy for MSc and PhD students

We help develop industry-ready data professionals to meet the increasing demands for digital talent.

The Data Lab Academy provides free employability training, including a programme of sector- specific skills training and industry placements to students on data and AI postgraduate programmes in Scotland. Delivered in partnership with 13 Scottish Universities and 100+ public and private sector organisations in Scotland, all Academy students receive:

• Sector-specific training, designed and delivered in partnership with industry – covering employability, career paths, innovation challenges, entrepreneurship, data ethics, and professional and technical skills.
• The opportunity to undertake a three-month paid industry placement.
• Access to a wide network of expertise through events, networking opportunities, The Data Lab Alumni and The Data Lab Community Platform.
• Access to Data Talent – Scotland’s largest in-person showcase bringing together tech talent from across Scotland with organisations across all sectors actively recruiting for a variety of data and AI roles.

Scholarships covering tuition fees are available to Scottish residents studying an approved data science or AI programme of study in Scotland. To date, over 1,000 students have received fully funded masters scholarships with over 450 of them completing an industry placement and over a quarter of those leading to extension or longer-term employment since the programme launched in 2015.

Previously only open to MSc programmes, The Academy opened up to students on approved integrated master’s degrees (MSci) in 2022 and from 2023 will expand further to include self-funded MSc and PhD students, with a new pathway for undergraduate, college and non-academic intakes being explored for the future.

We have recently launched a pilot programme which aims to support the stream of international talent arriving in Scotland to study to remain and work in Scotland on completion of their academic course.

The programme, run in partnership with SICSA and DataKirk, and sponsored by Codebase, will provide training and support to a cohort of around 100 international postgraduates and data professionals in employability, entrepreneurship, immigration and UK work culture, and access to The Data Lab community and recruitment-focused events. If successful, we plan to integrate this programme with The Academy programme in the future.

TVSquared: Recruiting talent through the MSc placements programme

Recently acquired by Innovid, TVSquared is the world’s largest measurement platform for television and digital advertising, providing an overview of audiences across all devices and platforms worldwide. It processes billions of ad impressions to generate data including reach, frequency, online and offline outcomes, and audience insights.

The Challenge

With roots in data science and engineering, TVSquared founders understood the importance of data science education.

The company had a clear idea for a project which would make an ideal assignment for a junior role and sought a data engineering graduate to take on the task at hand.This also posed an opportunity to assess whether a graduate could be a good fit for the organisation with a view to making a permanent hire.

The Solution

Enrolling in The Data Lab’s graduate placement programme, TVSquared could gauge whether someone was a good fit for the organisation, treating their graduates similarly to new hires.

Tommaso Ricci, 2019 graduate of the MSc Big Data programme at University of Stirling, undertook a placement at TVSquared where he led a project investigating the possibility of creating a device graph – a tool linking together anonymous IDs into a specific entity such as a household.

The Outcomes

Tommaso’s investigation and prototype were critical in allowing the company to understand the feasibility, cost, and data requirements of implementing a device graph in-house.

He secured a full-time position at TVSquared, contributing to several projects including the development of new software enabling clients to understand customer demographics for more effective ad targeting. Currently, he is implementing new tools, data pipelines, and automation to support data scientists and analysts by providing them with an easy-to-access, high-quality data lake.

Bringing in The Data Lab MSc students was also a growth opportunity for full-time employees, with those interested in taking on managerial roles volunteering their time to support junior team members.

“The support I received from The Data Lab and TVSquared was fantastic; the teams helped me find the right internship and, eventually, full-time position.”

Tommaso Ricci, Data Engineer, TVSquared

PhD placements

The Data Lab PhD placement programme offers short industry placements, providing the opportunity for PhD students in Scotland to apply their research and technical skills in a non-academic environment, and for organisations to access an elite talent pool to support innovation and development.

• Piloted in 2021, funded by the DDI Data Driven Entrepreneurship Beacon programme, 33 PhD students from the University of Edinburgh were placed with Scottish organisations across all sectors.
• Following the success of the pilot, this programme was continued with The Data Lab funding and extended to PhD students across all universities in Scotland to provide a further 31 placements by the end of March 2024.
• Project outcomes to date have included proof of concept, test hypotheses and accelerated product development. A number of placements were extended or resulted in the student being employed long-term by the organisation.

“The placement has been an invaluable experience, providing a unique opportunity to merge academic theories with practical industry insights. I feel like there is a large gap between the skills taught in the University and those used in industry. This placement acts like a window for PhD students, especially those without much industrial experience, to understand such gap and better prepare for the future”

Yiran Zhu (University of Edinburgh), placed at PropEco

“The results have been fantastic and have provided the much needed evidence to support our belief that our data has much higher value use cases. Further work will reveal a potential new service offering of behavioural BMS programming”

Placement host Beringar

Industrial doctorate studentships

We co-fund industrial doctorate studentships, in collaboration with academic institutions and industry, public or third sector partners. These industrial doctorates are designed to support the development of data science and AI talent at a PhD/EngD level, while facilitating collaboration between industry and academia through applied research projects.

We have funded 37 doctoral (PhD/EngD) studentships with industry partners including BT, Canon Medical Research, Aggreko, SFA, Seebyte and Natural Power. 14 have been successfully completed so far with a further eight due to be completed by the end of 2023. These co-funded studentships provide the opportunity for organisations to have a dedicated student working on innovative research for the duration of their PhD over several years – providing the student with industry experience in conjunction with completing their studies on a project that is making a real-life impact.

Natural Power: PhD develops power forecasting excellence

Natural Power works with a variety of clients across the globe to provide reliable data that supports project success. Its analytical services cover all stages of a project, from feasibility and development to operations and re-powering.

The Challenge

The ability to accurately forecast minutes and hours ahead is essential for the continued growth of weather- dependent renewable energy generation, like wind and solar.

Natural Power is the biggest independent provider of control point services to generators in the UK. So, its ability to forecast accurately across its asset management contracts has very significant commercial impacts on both the individual generators and the UK grid as a whole.

The Solution

Collaborating with The Data Lab and the University of Strathclyde, Natural Power were able to access data science research expertise through PhD student Rosemary Tawn, allowing her work to have immediate impact on the real world.

The Outcomes

As a result of a collaboration, Rosemary Tawn completed a PhD, contributing to research that has resulted in a short-term (less than four hours) power forecasting system that demonstrates up to 20% improved forecast accuracy.
The project has provided Natural Power with a robust methodology for using statistical, data driven, short-term forecasts, in conjunction with numerical weather prediction-based estimates, to create an optimum forecast for short and long-term power requirements.

As a result, the system has overcome the real-world challenge of missing data which has been a barrier to using statistical data in wind power applications until this time.

The new power forecasting system has been implemented with immediate effect.

“The research, co-funded by The Data Lab in partnership with Natural Power through our Industrial Doctorate programme reinforces the importance of funding research within renewable energy. This benefits not only the student and the university but will help Natural Power with their long-term net zero goals and of course, this supports a sustainable society as we strive to reduce our impact on the environment”

Heather Thomson, Director of Skills and Talent, The Data Lab

Data Skills for Work

Data Skills for Work is part of the Data Driven Innovation – Data Skills Gateway, which aims to provide all of Scotland’s citizens with the opportunity to learn the necessary skills to drive and sustain data-driven innovation in the Edinburgh City Deal region. The success of this scheme has been recognised by the Scottish Government and other City Deal Partnerships with new funding secured to pilot the scheme in other regions, starting with the Tay Cities Deal.

Our core objective is to benefit working adults who want to upskill themselves in data to address the demands of increasingly digital workplaces.

Since launching our Data Skills Credits small grants scheme in 2020, Data Skills for Work at The Data Lab has supported almost 700 learners to access digital and data short courses, delivered by a network of training and education partners, including Code Division, Institute of Data and Marketing, Edinburgh College, Edinburgh Napier University, and more. We have worked with 20+ businesses to upskill workers in roles that are changing or are at risk of redundancy and we also supported local employers in creating a skills framework identifying key skills gaps at each level of data literacy and mapped training to the framework to help learners find the right training for them.

“Data Skills for Work have helped us tremendously by increasing the number of women taking part in our courses and allowing us to deliver courses open learning in a way that is affordable and flexible to learners from underrepresented groups. It’s allowed us to help people develop their careers and multiple examples of people getting really good jobs.”

Sam Blyth, Head of School, School of Computing and Technology, Edinburgh College

Professional development

Workshops and leadership training

Data and AI opportunities are not industry or sector specific. We help develop leaders and senior managers to drive value, develop and implement a data strategy, and build data-literate teams. To date, we have:

• Delivered 190 workshops benefitting more than 1000 organisations.
• Developed an emerging Data Leaders programme with additional funding from the Scottish Government in 2020, with the vision of building a community of data leaders equipped with the skills and knowledge to lead Scotland’s businesses to economic success. So far, we have seen 26 leaders graduate from the programme and have developed a commercial model to ensure future sustainability.
• Partnered with Equate Scotland, CodeClan, and Effini to deliver Data Science courses for women, non-binary and neurodiverse groups, creating a safe space to learn and talk about the challenges of changing careers or returning to work in data. So far, 138 people have benefitted from the programme.

Following the success of our Data Science courses for women, non-binary and neurodiverse groups, we aim to extend this experiential and immersive format to other underrepresented groups and adapt our CPD courses including the Data Leaders programme for target groups. The model is already being replicated in Dundee through our partnership with Dundee & Angus College as part of the Data is Everyone’s Business initiative, which received £100k from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

“For someone who’s worked in data for eons, I didn’t realise there was so much more to learn. [The Data Leadership Programme] introduced me to a whole new world of data governance, data management and data strategies, and we’ve already started implementing some of those measures in the team”.

Dilraj Sokhi-Watson is the current Director at Equate Scotland

Online courses

We strongly believe that digital tools have a key part to play in achieving improvements to productivity at scale, increasing participation and inclusion across the UK, from cities to rural areas.

To aid the adoption of data and AI, we have created four online courses Driving Value from Data, People Power Data, Data-Driven Entrepreneurship and Driving Value from AI. In addition, we have funded the development of courses by universities and industry partners in a variety of fields such as the games industry, cybersecurity, satellite data, ethics, tourism, and support for integrating data science into teaching in colleges and schools. To date, we have:

• Funded 20 data science online learning courses providing AI and data science training, in collaboration with over 75 industry and academic partners.
• Enabled 80,000 registrations for online courses we have created or funded and 6,000+ completions.

Social Bite: Developing data skills to help as many in need as possible

Beginning life as a small café in Edinburgh in 2012, Social Bite has become an internationally renowned charity, supporting people facing homelessness or facing barriers to employment. We spoke with Jamie Boyd, Growth Programme Manager for Social Bite, about how The Data Lab’s professional development training has helped them harness data in their organisation.

The Challenge

Social Bite’s rapid growth over the past decade has seen the charity gather data from fundraising and support work, but with insufficient ways to analyse or interpret this significant data set, opportunities were sometimes overlooked. Jamie identified a gap in the organisation’s data management; however, noone internally had the right skillset to oversee or use the data.
Asa result, the charity was at risk of losing possible fundraising opportunities (or investing funds in potentially unsuccessful projects) by making decisions on instinct, rather than hard data.

Tasked with analysing previous fundraising efforts (in a bid to apply learnings to run future fundraising campaigns successfully), Jamie reached out to The Data Lab for support.

The Solution

Enrolling in The Data Lab’s professional development course, the Data Leaders Programme, Jamie could develop his skill set, learn how to effectively analyse trends, and gain real value from Social Bite’s data that would allow him to provide insight into the organisation’s plans.

Throughout the programme, a team of data specialists and practitioners covered various topics, including the importance and execution of a data strategy, data ethics and governance, and recruiting data talent. The course gave Jamie headspace to discuss potential solutions for real-world challenges and consider the application of these solutions with fellow leaders.

The Outcomes

As well as a deeper understanding of data applications, becoming part of a cohort of leaders, has given Jamie further confidence in his data knowledge that he can call upon in future.

Following the course, Jamie is leading the implementation of a CRM platform to centralise and gain insight from service users, supporters, donors, and partner information. Such a system will store thousands of details and help to streamline communication, develop relationships, and identify opportunities for improvement.

This project will result in a viable system set up for the full fundraising team to access. Long-term goals include monitoring and analysing the success of projects (such as The Social Bite Village) to gain insight and apply learnings moving forward to meet fundraising targets to help as many in need as possible.

“The programme showed me that analysing data doesn’t need to be done by a Data Scientist, it can be incorporated into any role.”

The Data Lab Community

• 3,500+ members
• 65+ countries
• 70 industries
• 42% female, 20% ethnic minority.

In September 2021 we launched our free-to-access digital hub, The Data Lab Community. Already making an impact in Scotland and beyond, The Community is an online space for our growing community of data and AI professionals, students and enthusiasts to connect, collaborate, learn and grow. Data can bring communities together because it opens opportunities for everyone, regardless of industry sector or background.

Since its launch, The Community has gone from strength to strength, with a diverse and growing membership. We’ve recently launched our premium subscription model to add value to members by offering additional benefits, including discounts for The Data Lab’s flagship events and professional development opportunities and the ability to share job vacancies with thousands of students and professionals.

“We created The Data Lab Community to facilitate meaningful connections and conversations around artificial intelligence and data science amidst the challenges of the pandemic. The Community’s growth and impact connecting data and AI enthusiasts and promoting job opportunities have exceeded our expectations and we have ambitious plans for future growth.”

Alison Orr, Director of Marketing & Communications at The Data Lab

“I graduated from CodeClan [in October 2022] and got a job as a data analyst [a few weeks later]. I was well supported by [my mentor] Ivona throughout my job hunting and I am so thankful for The Data Lab community’s mentoring scheme.”

Xi Bonham-Yang (TDL Community member)

Partnerships

We launched our new annual Partnership programme in the summer of 2022 to connect with ecosystem partners from the private, public and social enterprise sectors. This programme brings together like-minded organisations who share our vision of creating the world’s most impactful data and AI community. The programme represents a year-round opportunity to engage with our growing community of over 3,500 members, from a diverse range of organisations, to attract talent and showcase data and AI innovation to potential partners and customers.

From shaping new products and services to developing networks, talent and events, we’ve worked with our partners to achieve ambitious goals – and they are pivotal to our long-term vision.

In Scotland, we have the potential to lead the world in how we shape the future, and our partnerships will be key in the next exciting stage of our journey towards creating the world’s most impactful data community.

With a network of over 1,500 companies, public sector organisations and universities, The Data Lab is right at the heart of the Scottish and UK data ecosystems, allowing our partners to capitalise on our extensive knowledge and academic and industrial connections. These partnerships will unlock new and valuable business opportunities for Scotland – strengthening its position as a data leader on the world stage.

“Our partnership programme will further strengthen our already robust network, facilitate new connections and innovative ideas that can help support and develop Scotland’s booming data economy. We look forward to delivering even more impact as our relationships grow.”

Mark Wilkinson, Director of Partnerships & Business Development at The Data Lab

“Further expanding into Scotland is a key focus for the business over the next year and working with The Data Lab is a critical partnership in facilitating this next step. We’re eager to be an active participant within the booming Scottish data scene and aim to add as much value as we can to best serve the data community.

“Being so closely aligned in terms of our values, especially around developing knowledge and distributing expertise, only further cements the decision to partner with The Data Lab.”

Rose Souders, Head of Marketing at The Data Shed

“The Data Lab have been a great partner to CodeBase for many years. Partnership is vital to our delivery of the Techscaler programme, which supports the creation and scaling of startups in the Scottish tech ecosystem.

The Data Lab’s important work building data innovation talent in Scotland will no doubt inspire new startup founders, who will be ideally placed to take advantage of the opportunities presented by Techscaler.”

Steven Drost, Chief Strategy Officer at CodeBase

DataFest

Now in its seventh year, DataFest is Scotland’s premier international festival of innovation, data and AI. DataFest showcases Scotland’s leading role in data and AI on the international stage while offering an unprecedented platform to connect with local and international talent, industry, academia and data enthusiasts.

We’ve been delighted to host some of the world’s most innovative thinkers and organisations to address our highly engaged audience, including;

• Cassie Kozyrkov (Chief Decision Scientist, Google)
• Kirk Borne (Chief Science Officer & Global Influencer)
• Hannah Fry (Mathematician)
• Christopher Wylie (former Cambridge Analytica whistleblower)
• Jim Al-Khalili (quantum physicist and host of R4’s The Life Scientific)
• NASA and European Space Agency
• Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock (space scientist and host of BBC’s Sky at Night)
• Stephanie Hare (Researcher & Journalist)
• Professor Devi Sridhar (Professor & Chair of Global Public Health, The University of Edinburgh)
• Natalia Adler (UNICEF)

In good company

Here are some of DataFest’s high-profile public and private sector sponsors and exhibitors from previous years:

• The Scottish Government
• FanDuel
• Royal Bank of Scotland
• Sainsbury’s Bank
• Barclays
• Heineken
• Royal London
• Accenture
• SAS
• Merkle Aquila
• Forth Point
• Public Health Scotland
• NHS National Services Scotland
• FiveTran
• Scottish Enterprise
• MBN Solutions
• The Data Shed

“These events are very necessary to connect industry leaders with thought leaders around the world…[Data Summit is] an excellent exposure to what is going on. The collaborations that are formed and the relationships that are formed through activities by The Data Lab are vital.”

Kevin Murphy – Chief Science Data Officer, NASA

“What I love about DataFest is that it’s utterly authentic – driven by people who want data and AI to be put to the best possible use, attended by those who want to connect with others on this mission. It is also shedloads of fun.”

Maggie Philbin OBE

“There’s a real buzz about the place… events like this one are very useful – you’re opening up a new audience to what’s going on in [data and AI] and inspiring them”

Professor Jim Al-Khalili

“WOW! I loved the ethical and inclusive aura of DataFest. It went beyond my expectations. There was a human aspect to discussions about data that makes me hopeful about the future of technology.

Where our shared humanity underpins the development of new algorithms and societal structures. Thank you for making it easy to meet inspiring people – many of who will be potential partners for collaboration. DataFest team you 100% rock and this conference makes me excited to return to Scotland! Thank you!”

Elinor Samuelsson, Co-founder of BrightAct

Our future

As an innovation centre, we are proud to collaborate with funders and partners to create outcomes that benefit everyone: from cancer patients to the world’s children, manufacturers to digital startups, the public sector to citizen engagement and more. These outcomes are underpinned by our unwavering commitment to foster, support and promote new, upskilled and reskilled talent.

Data and AI present both huge opportunities and risks: the next decade will be decisive in our application of these technologies. The Data Lab’s focus will be to tackle challenges in the present whilst creating a legacy for future generations in Scotland and around the world. If you share our ambition, please join us in The Data Lab Community, we would love to see you there!