Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia, headlines DataFest 2026 in Edinburgh this May. Edinburgh is set to host one of Scotland’s most compelling artificial intelligence events this May, as DataFest 2026 brings together one of the technology industry’s most influential entrepreneurs alongside leading figures from OpenAI, Skyscanner and the Mayor of London’s Office for two days of debate and discussion. Jimmy Wales is an American internet entrepreneur, best known as the Founder […]
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Open Isn’t Enough: Rethinking Data for AI Agents
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 […]
New AI Strategy launched at Edinburgh Futures Institute
On Friday the 20th March, the Scottish Government hosted an event at the Edinburgh Futures Institute to launch Scotland’s new AI Strategy. Supported by The Data Lab and Quantum Communications, the event brought together over 180 members of the thriving Scottish AI ecosystem, including universities and colleges, as well as many key decision-makers from Scottish […]
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, […]
Converge innovation challenge opens for applications
Converge is on the hunt for the next generation of academic innovators looking to transform their world-class research and innovation into impactful businesses. Applications are now open for the prestigious programme, which combines expert-led business training with a competitive edge. Converge Challenge Sector-specific prizes boosting business There are a range of challenges to apply for, […]
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 […]
Response to the Scottish Budget 2026 to 2027
The Data Lab, Scotland’s Innovation Centre for Data and AI, welcomes the announcements in the budget on the increase in funding for the college sector and universities, investment in innovation, enterprise and entrepreneurship, employability and skills development and a further £125m investment in City Region Deals. Heather Thomson, CEO of The Data Lab, said, “The […]
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 […]