The Data Lab

We were thrilled to host a buzzing reception at Dover House last night, welcoming London Tech Week attendees and convening Scotland’s vibrant data, AI, and tech ecosystem at the invitation of Ian Murray, Secretary of State for Scotland. It was fantastic to meet new collaborators, supporters, and catch up with partners, alumni, and community champions, including Matt Robinson from TechUK! We were even honoured to have a number of MPs join us.

We’ll be at for the rest of the week – drop by The University of Edinburgh’s stand 712 and say hello!

We’ve kicked off The Data Lab Academy’s Innovation Challenge 2025 at Stirling Court Hotel, in collaboration with . This year’s theme is: “Building Data Systems: From Insights to Impact.”

Over the next few days, our MSc students will tackle real-world problems through data and AI, guided by challenges from our partners:

1️⃣ : AI-driven metadata curation for public sector
2️⃣ and Architecture and Design Scotland (A&DS): Data-driven regeneration of derelict land in Scotland’s towns and centres
3️⃣ Wheatley Group: Data-led approaches to improving social housing

Great to see our Chief Growth Officer, Mark Wilkinson, with challenge owners from Wheatley Group and as discussions kicked off.

And finally, a huge shout out to our Skills and Data Science teams for leading our Innovation Challenge and delivering a brilliant programme!

The afternoon sessions are about to begin! 🚨

We’re kicking things off with Dr Eleanor Drage from the University of Cambridge who’ll be discussing “The apocalypse fe**sh: preventing catastrophe by targeting real-world problems”, followed by an expert panel on “Developing an AI strategy”.

Finally, Orlando Machado from the LEGO Group will be taking the stage to talk about “Beyond the algorithm: unlocking AI’s business potential”.

Stay tuned… the afternoon is packed with insights!

What a morning at DataFest 2025! 🤩

After the break, Zoe Kleinman from BBC News took us through “Policy v progress: AI, politics, and the battle for regulation”, followed by a great panel on “So, you want to start an AI company?” with Ross McNairn, Rachel Curtis, Iain Mackie, and Corine van der Schans.

Duncan Clark from Canva wrapped up the morning with a talk on “Unlocking the future of data storytelling with AI”.

We can’t wait for this afternoon!

DataFest 2025… we’re ready for you! 🚀

Our registration team are all set and excited to welcome you this morning from 08:30. We’re kicking off the Main Conference with a welcome from our CEO, Heather Thomson, before diving into:

🎤”Rethinking AI and its impact on business and humanity” with Dr. Daniel Hulme, Chief AI Officer at WPP
🌍 Panel: “How Data and AI are tackling global challenges” with Dr Stephanie Earp, Prof Hadi Larijani, Mathew Clark, and Katy Guthrie
🤖 “Redefining intelligence: how reasoning is re-shaping AI in 2025” with Colin Jarvis from OpenAI

… and that’s just the start.

See you soon!

We’re nearly set - and looking forward to seeing you this afternoon at the DataFest 2025 Pre-Conference Day!

Join us from 14:30 for registration, followed by four interactive sessions:

🕒 15:00 – 15:45
A Data & AI Skills Framework for Scotland: Building Data and AI Capability across Teams, People, and Organisations
Michelle Scott and Nuria Fraile-Diaz, The Data Lab

🕓 16:00 – 16:45
Future-proof or Fall Behind? Data & AI Skills for Tomorrow’s Workforce
Speakers from Hypercube, Accenture, and Scottish Widows

🕔 17:00 – 17:45
Bridging the Gap: Opportunities for Cross-Sector Collaboration
Speakers from University of the West of Scotland, Napier University, Interface, and The Data Lab

🕕 18:00 – 18:45
Leading in the Age of AI
Speakers from IBM, Scottish Government, Teradata, and The Data Lab

Looking forward to an afternoon of insights, discussions, and connections across the data and AI community - come and say hi to us on our stand!

⭐ Celebrating our Alumni for the Data Lab Academy 2023/24 – This week we spotlight Amrutha Haridas, Doctor in Clinical Genetics for NHS Grampian ⭐

Amrutha is a medical doctor with more than 10 years of clinical experience and is currently specialising in Clinical Genetics. As part of the Data Lab Scholarship programme, she successfully completed a Masters in Health Data Science achieving commendation. With the skills from the degree, she is currently involved in digitalising clinical pathways the NHS. Passionate about integrating technology into health care delivery, she has also completed a fellowship in Health Tech and Innovation.

Thank you to Amrutha for her dedicated involvement in The Data Lab Academy!

Welcome to the team Nini Ochuba! 👏

Nini Ochuba is a seasoned business development professional with over a decade’s experience in the satellite communications sector, who joined the Data Lab in November 2024 as the Business Development Executive North.

She holds a Business Analytics MBA specialisation from the University of Aberdeen. She is driven to advance data innovations in the region by bridging actors and synergising resources to unlock opportunities. Most days you can find her in our Aberdeen hub.

We’re thrilled to have her on the team ⭐

Welcome to the team Flo Millar. Flo has joined as the new Marketing and Communication Manager 👏

Flo joined The Data Lab in November 2024 and is responsible for all things strategy, research, content, communications, and advertising. With five years of experience and an agency background, Flo has a proven track record of delivering impactful campaigns across diverse sectors, including higher education, charity, and the public sector.

Please join us in welcoming Flo. We’re delighted to have her.

⭐ Celebrating our Alumni for the Data Lab Academy 2023/24 – This week we spotlight Oleksandra Al, Business Analyst at Scottish Power ⭐

Oleksandra’s career started in call centres, where she became fascinated by KPIs and transitioned into data analysis. From there, she moved into SEO, the online dating industry, and now the energy sector, focusing on analysis and process optimisation.

During her Master’s, Oleksandra received a scholarship from The Data Lab, which led to some fantastic opportunities, including meeting data specialists from all over the world, working on a project with Young Scot and interning with HES.

Having lived and worked in several countries, Scotland is now Oleksandra’s fourth home - “I feel incredibly grateful for the amazing experiences I've had here during my studies. It’s been a joy to be part of such a diverse community and to learn from so many different perspectives”.

We’ve enjoyed following Oleksandra’s journey and look forward to seeing what she’ll accomplish in the future.

⭐ Celebrating our Alumni for the Data Lab Academy 2023/24 – This week we spotlight Aliaksei Auhustsinovich, Digital Analytics Manager at Royal London ⭐

Aliaksei proudly holds a Master of Science with Distinction in Data Engineering and was honoured with the University Medal for outstanding academic achievements. His participation in The Data Lab Academy significantly enhanced his career by honing his soft skills and expanding his professional network.

Aliaksei leverages advanced tools to drive data strategies and foster a data-driven culture within his organization. His role involves empowering colleagues to make informed decisions, optimizing digital experiences, and achieving strategic goals.

With extensive experience in business analysis, reporting, software development, and digital marketing, Aliaksei's professional journey is complemented by his academic contributions as a lecturer in Marketing and Digital Business. Fueled by his passion for data and its potential, he continues to make an impact in his field.

We look forward to keeping up with all of Aliaksei’s work! ⭐