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!

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!

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!

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 ⭐

⭐ 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! ⭐