Last chance to show the Highlands is a data innovator

A final call has been sent out for Highland organisations to show how they are helping lead data innovation in the north.

DataFest21, the UK’s biggest data and AI festival, is looking for stories of success from champions of Scottish data innovation.

However, they have only until this Friday, January 22 to make an application to showcase their achievements.

Gillian Docherty, chief executive of The Data Lab, Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI, said: "As a crucial platform to showcase Scotland as the global leader in data innovation, we have been working hard for the past 10 months to ensure DataFest21 can carry on as a series of virtual events throughout the year. We are committed to providing an engaging and fascinating platform, bringing together individuals from industry, academia, and the public sector to share their knowledge, collaborate, and innovate.

“This year, we want to celebrate the very best of Scottish innovation, from all walks of life, and we are really looking forward to reviewing the array of inspiring applications for this fantastic opportunity to be part of DataFest21.”

Now in its fifth year, the UK’s biggest data and artificial intelligence festival will take as its theme #OurData, underlining how important data is to the growth of the economy, social progress and knowledge base.

The Data Lab’s panel of experts will select three inspiring stories and transform them into short films which will be debuted at DataTalks – a new element of the DataFest event due to launch in spring, created to showcase Scotland’s innovative spirit and support the organisations leading the way. It will also highlight the variety of career opportunities data science offers in and around the data science field, both locally and internationally.

The Data Lab is encouraging businesses of all sizes, and from a variety of backgrounds, to get involved. Organisations looking to submit their inspirational stories can fill in the application form via DataFest’s website, with entries for the set to close at 11.59pm on Friday, January 22.

For more information and to submit your data innovation story, visit www.datafest.global

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