Posts by Mark Baillie
Futures Institute welcomes partners and members
Edinburgh Futures Institute welcomed the first cohort of partners and members to its co-location spaces this autumn. The opening of the historic landmark building in June 2024 has been marked by a range of activities welcoming the public, students and staff of the University, and local and regional stakeholders and organisations. The Futures Institute recently…
Read MoreDDI initiative surpasses innovation goal by fourfold, five years early
The Data-Driven Innovation initiative has exceeded a key government objective to drive innovation by supporting businesses secure more than £200 million of investments – four times the initial target. As part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal signed in 2018, the DDI initiative, which is delivered by the University of Edinburgh…
Read MoreAI for good: new AI Accelerator cohort announced
Wearable tech to reduce the risk of drug overdose, AI for affordable financial guidance and a device that captures birdsong to evaluate natural capital are just three of the new AI Accelerator cohort companies announced today. Thirteen global, data-driven companies, chosen for their capacity to harness AI for good in the areas of health, climate…
Read MoreCreative programme worth potential £78.5m to Scottish economy
A 900-year-old church and a theatre group for disabled artists are some of the beneficiaries of an initiative expected to return more than £18 for every pound invested. Independent analysis of the recently-concluded Creative Informatics programme also found it has safeguarded or created 445 jobs, supported the making of 45 spin-out companies and trained more…
Read MoreCivTech Round 10 launched to drive public sector innovation
Up to £8 million of Scottish Government funding is being made available to help start-up businesses and entrepreneurs solve public sector challenges. The latest round of the Scottish Government CivTech programme invites companies and individuals to come up with innovations and products that will improve lives and practices across a wide range of public sector…
Read MoreData innovations centre stage at FinTech Scotland Festival
FinTech Scotland has announced the launch of the 7th Annual FinTech Scotland Festival, running from September 25th to October 4th, 2024. This year’s festival promises to bring together the dynamic and collaborative Scottish fintech community, showcasing its remarkable growth, innovation, and energy. Attendees will engage in critical discussions on topics shaping the global fintech landscape.…
Read MoreTop Award for Data Education in Schools
The Data Education in Schools (DES) team has scooped top prize for Education Initiative of the Year at the 2024 British Data Awards. DES is part of the Data Skills Gateway, a key strand of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal and its inclusive growth ambition. Since 2018, DES has reached around…
Read MoreCreative Informatics team lead new book on DDI in creative sector
The importance of data-driven innovation in the creative industries has been highlighted in a new book. Data-Driven Innovation in the Creative Industries, published by Routledge, is a collection of essays edited by Melissa Terras, Vikki Jones, Nicola Osborne and Chris Speed. The book reflects on the editors’ experiences in delivering, researching, and supporting the creative…
Read MoreThe Data Lab upskills more than 1000 learners to address growing digital skills gap
The Data Lab, Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI, has announced it has upskilled almost 1,000 learners in data literacy through its Data Skills for Work programme. The vast majority of which are based in Edinburgh and South East Scotland. Led by The Data Lab, the Data Skills for Work programme is part of…
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