The Data Lab is establishing a £10 million innovation center in data science, supported by the Scottish Funding Council and industry partners. This initiative aims to create significant economic impact, with an estimated £216 billion contribution to the UK economy and 58,000 new jobs over the next five years. The center will focus on collaborative innovation, skills training, and project management while working closely with industry, academia, and the public sector across Scotland.

1. building a world-class innovation centre in data science
Prof. Roderick Murray-Smith
Data Lab Board Member
SICSA Director

2. www.thedatalab.com
How does the Data Lab see
Data Science?
• It is about extracting value from data
• Informatics and computing science plays a major role, but
domain experts are critical to understand how it is applied
• UK economic impact over the next 5 years ~ £216 billion and
the creation of 58,000 new jobs (CEBR)

3. www.thedatalab.com
Background
• Scottish Funding Council is investing in new Innovation Centre
program ~£10m+ per centre over 5 years
• The Data Lab will operate in partnership with Industry, Public
Sector and Academia in data science
• The bid has now been funded – we are now in a startup
phase (appointment of interim chairman Neil Logan, COO
David Richardson and hiring core team)

4. www.thedatalab.com
The Bid
• DC Thomson, Lockheed Martin, SAS and ScotlandIS
• SICSA with Hubs in Edinburgh Uni. (Administrative HEI),
Glasgow Uni. and Robert Gordon Uni.
• ~30 organisations supported the bid and outlined
commitment a number of potential projects
• Scottish Government and NHS very supportive

5. www.thedatalab.com
What Will Be Delivered
Collaborative
Innovation
Community
Building
Skills and Training
Open Calls
Sandpits and
Workshops
Placements and
Secondments
Industry Challenges
Thought-Leader
Away-Day
Online Learning
Quick Start Projects
Annual Conference
CPD
Strategic Bids
Tech Talks
Industry Eng.D.s
Open Innovation
Guest Lectures
Recruitment Events
Community
Sponsorship

6. www.thedatalab.com
Operating Model
• Distributed operational and research
teams based in 3 hubs in cities of
Aberdeen, Edinburgh Glasgow
• Financial Services, Government, Health,
Oil Gas, Online Digital
• Will work with Industry, Public Sector
and SICSA universities across Scotland
• Project staff likely to be based in
various Universities (depending
on funded projects)

7. www.thedatalab.com
What’s Different?
• Focussed on Delivering for Local Industry
• Leveraging World-Class Research Excellence
• Sector-Focussed Business Development
• Project Management Software Engineering Capability
• Hosting Platforms and Datasets for Quick-Response

8. www.thedatalab.com
Partnering in the Innovation
Landscape
• SFC Innovation Centres (CENSIS, DHI and more)
• Connected Digital Economy Catapult
• Farr Institute
• Other International Initiatives (EU, US, Asia)

9. Thanks
any questions to ….
David Richardson (Data Lab COO)
david.richardson@thedatalab.com
www.thedatalab.com
Roderick Murray-Smith (SICSA Director)
Roderick.Murray-Smith@glasgow.ac.uk
www.sicsa.ac.uk