DataFest 2026

Hosted by The Data Lab, Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI, DataFest is Scotland’s leading data & AI conference.

Since 2017, it has grown into the country’s premier showcase of data and AI, attracting global speakers, industry leaders, and practitioners from across sectors and industries.

For our 2026 edition, our theme, ‘Intelligent Futures,’ will explore how data and AI are transforming the systems, industries, and societies of tomorrow - with a focus on long-term impact, trust, and responsible scale.

Speakers include:

• Jimmy Wales, Founder, Wikipedia
• Dex Hunter-Torricke, Founder, The Centre For Tomorrow
• Dr Julia Stamm, Founder, She Shapes AI
• Georgia Channing, AI for Science Lead, Hugging Face
• Amanda Brock, CEO, OpenUK
• Prof. Rachel Adams, Executive Director, Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence
• Colin Nwachukwu Ife, Head of Risk, Geordie AI

DataFest 2026 Schedule (Timings subject to change!)

• 27th May - 13:30 – 19:00

• 28th May - 08:30 - 16:00

DataFest 2026 is a CPD accredited event!

The Data Lab is a member of the CPD Certification Service – by attending DataFest 2026 you can add this learning time towards your individual continuing professional development goals. After the event, you’ll receive a digital certificate with CPD points to add to your personal log or organisational file.

Partnering with us is the most cost-effective way to access our key events and community benefits. We launched our partnership programme to connect with partners from the private, public and social enterprise sectors. This programme brings together like-minded organisations who share our vision of creating the world’s most impactful data and AI community.

Click here to learn more about our packages and explore our current partners.

Thank you to our partners Accenture, Barclays, Scottish Women in Technology, Teradata, Lloyds Banking Group, Caledonian MacBrayne, Elementz, Research Data Scotland, Talan, Wheatley Group, The Scottish Government, and our funder Scottish Funding Council.

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Join a thriving network of over 8000 data & AI professionals, students and enthusiasts. Take part in discussions, connect with peers and be the first to hear about future events - join The Data Lab Community for free!

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