We’re delighted to hand the mic over to Gautham Krishnadas for our latest guest blog. Gautham is the Co-founder of Dtechtive, which helps organisations such as the Scottish Government, make data more discoverable, trustworthy and AI-ready. His background spans industry-academia research, full-stack data science, user-centric product design and commercial delivery. He has a PhD in […]
Announcing the Winners of the The Data Lab Community’s Data Visualisation Competition
Celebrating creativity, insight, and storytelling through data. Now in its second year, The Data Lab Community’s Data Visualisation Competition is an opportunity to come together to celebrate storytelling through data. The competition provides a platform for data visualisers of all levels to hone their skills, demonstrate their abilities, and raise their profile to a global audience of data & AI professionals, students and enthusiasts. The […]
Stepping into 2026 – Reflections from our January Predictions Meet-up
January’s Predictions meet-up marked a personal milestone for me – it was my first Data Lab Community event as the new Chair. While I’ve been a member of the Community for years, this was my first opportunity to introduce myself in this new role – and to do so in front of 300+ registered attendees, […]
Marketing in the Age of AI
Breaking Through the Noise Every day, people are exposed to thousands of messages across all of their screens, apps, emails, and social media platforms. In this crowded digital space, organisations face a growing challenge: breaking through the noise with communications that reach the right people, with the right message, at the right moment. From personalising […]
Exploring the case for a Scotland-wide Artificial Intelligence Cluster
The Data Lab has been commissioned by Scottish Enterprise, in partnership with Optimat, to explore the potential for a Scotland-wide Artificial Intelligence (AI) cluster. The work forms part of the Scottish Government’s Innovation Strategy and the development of the emerging Scottish Cluster Scheme, which aims to strengthen collaboration and accelerate innovation across key technologies and sectors. Artificial Intelligence is already […]
Reflections on 2025: A Data Scientist Dives into Mainframe (and lives to tell the tale)
In this guest blog, we’re joined by Sarah Burne James, Client Adoption Specialist (Z Software) at IBM, who brings a fresh, fun perspective to the world of mainframes—complete with misconceptions, “aha!” moments, and a lot of cool tech. *record scratch* *freeze frame* Yep, that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I got here. You know that […]
Reflections on Black History: Innovation, creativity and courage
Guest blog by Abel Aboh, Board Member, The Data Lab Scotland Did you know that the iconic “Thin White Duke” persona of David Bowie was created by a Black woman? Her name was Ola Hudson, an extraordinary costume designer who worked with the Pointer Sisters, John Lennon, and David Bowie himself. Hudson’s creative genius shaped […]
From Data to Diagnosis: How AI Is Revolutionising Healthcare
Healthcare systems are facing unprecedented pressures, with demand outpacing resources and services struggling to keep up. In Scotland alone, Public Health Scotland estimates that the NHS could be managing around 1,300 additional unplanned hospital admissions every week, largely driven by an ageing population. Cancer treatment waiting times are now the worst on record, with a third of patients with […]
From Data to Decisions: Building Trustworthy AI in Financial Services
In this guest blog, we’re pleased to welcome insights from David Bull, Senior Consultant at Talan. With over 15 years of experience across Retail, Commercial, and Investment Banking, as well as industries including Transport and Renewable Energy, David has led projects spanning data analytics, regulatory change, and remediation. Drawing on his expertise in data governance […]
Beyond the AI Hype: Scaling Financial Intelligence That Delivers
In this guest blog, we’re pleased to welcome insights from Simon Axon, Global Financial Services Strategist at Teradata. Simon explores the challenges financial institutions face in scaling AI beyond proof-of-concept. He examines how banks can move from traditional data management to real-time, signal-oriented AI applications that support fraud prevention, personalisation, risk management, and regulatory compliance. […]