SCOTLAND’s place as a world leader in the field of data science is being recognised with the launch of the UK’s first data festival – the week-long DataFest17.
It is being organised by innovation centre the Data Lab in partnership with Sainsbury’s Bank and will start in Edinburgh on March 20.
The inaugural event will celebrate innovation and showcase Scotland’s leading data science capabilities, attracting a host of international experts to the country.
Gillian Docherty, Data Lab’s CEO, said: “We are at the beginning of the data revolution: data innovation is disrupting all areas of our lives from business to public services and beyond.
“The theme for the festival is #DataChangesEverything and the programme will explore current and future innovation.
“Scotland is a world leader in data science and, in launching DataFest17, we will promote and grow our position on the international stage. The potential benefit of data to Scotland is colossal and by awakening business and the public to the possibilities of data, we can create significant social and economic impact.”
World renowned experts in the field will lead the DataFest17 line-up, including Dr Hannah Fry, from University College London and presenter of BBC TV’s The Joy of Data, and Marc Priestley, a former member of the McLaren F1 pit stop crew and an expert in British racing technology.
Priestly has already relayed his experiences working with drivers – including Mika Häkkinen, David Coulthard and Lewis Hamilton – to a group of company chief technology officers in Edinburgh.
He told them: “In Formula One, getting split-second decisions right under pressure can be the difference between success and failure. Instinct and experience can get you so far, but finding the crucial marginal advantages over the opposition may not always be obvious to the ‘naked eye’.
“In F1, data analysis uncovers the opportunities that help teams win races. It is the difference between winning and losing.
“Data has the ability to change everything, to inform critical decisions and impact lives. It’s really exciting and important that we help realise the true potential of data.”
DataFest17 kicks off with a series of fringe and training events in Edinburgh and other locations around Scotland, including hackathons and debates, while practical data science to leadership are among the subjects covered in the training sessions.
More than 500 people are expected to attend the Data Talent Scotland event, which will bring together talent from 15 Scottish universities with industry and public sector organisations.
The highlight of the week will be a two-day international summit which will see Fry and Priestley joined by economist Tim Harford and science and maths writer Alex Bellos.
Mark Hunter, Sainsbury’s Bank chief data officer, said: “At Sainsbury’s Bank, data is vitally important as it’s the way we understand our customers, therefore having talented data people is crucial to our business.
“As lead sponsor of DataFest17, we’re helping to bring together the growing data community in Scotland with an exciting opportunity to learn from international speakers.”
The Data Lab was established in 2014 with a £11.3 million grant from the Scottish Funding Council, to help industry capitalise on growing market opportunities in data science.
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