Royal visit gives seal of approval to data science and AI centre

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has officially opened a world-leading centre of expertise in data science and artificial intelligence (AI).

The University of Edinburgh’s Bayes Centre aims to develop and apply data science and AI – drawing meaningful insights from vast amounts of information – for the benefit of society.

Some 600 experts from research and industry will seek to make use of large datasets and a high-speed analytics facility to improve people’s lives.

These might include identifying trends from healthcare data to improve disease management, analysing traffic data to improve transport, or enabling businesses to improve products or services.

The £45 million Bayes Centre building houses about 600 researchers, students, and entrepreneurs over five floors. Its architecture, featuring open spaces, a central atrium and open terraces, is intended to foster collaboration among occupants.

The Bayes Centre is the first of five data-driven innovation hubs being created as part of the recently-announced Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.

The new hubs will help business and public sector organisations improve products and services through collaboration with researchers and data analysts. They will embed their research and development teams in the University environment to facilitate collaboration. The initiative is supported by Scottish Enterprise, which has part-funded the Bayes Innovation Programme to help encourage this collaboration.

The City Region Deal’s Data-Driven Innovation initiative includes the University’s Easter Bush Campus, the Bayes Centre, Edinburgh Futures Institute, Usher Institute, and the National Robotarium – a partnership with Heriot-Watt University.

The Bayes Centre shares a courtyard and walkways with the University’s Informatics Forum – home to some 500 computer scientists – and the Dugald Stewart Building, which houses Edinburgh’s language sciences experts. It was designed by architects Bennetts Associates.

The building takes its name from the Reverend Thomas Bayes, who studied logic and theology at the University of Edinburgh from 1719 until 1722.

He is best known for devising Bayesian statistics, the mathematical foundation for reliable forecasting. It is widely used today, for example in the financial markets, the weather, or to filter email spam.

Dr Michael Rovatsos, Director of the Bayes Centre, said: “We look forward to bringing together experts from research and industry in this collaborative space, to apply data science and AI to some of society’s most interesting challenges and opportunities.”

David Mundell, Secretary of State for Scotland, said: “It’s great to see this exciting project – backed by £30 million of UK Government funding – officially opened. The Bayes Centre will support the development of world leading technology, attract further investment to the region and support high value jobs for the future.

“It is a superb example of why data-driven innovation is at the heart of the UK Industrial Strategy, and one of many exciting projects being delivered as part of the £1.3 billion City Region Deal.”

Michael Matheson, the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, said: “I am delighted to see the Bayes Centre officially opened, the first project to do so from the £1.3 billion Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal. The opportunities that this building will create for both the University and the wider city region are considerable and I appreciate the role that the University of Edinburgh is playing in ensuring that Scotland will continue to be seen across the world at the forefront of data science.”

Councillor Adam McVey, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, speaking on behalf of the Deal partners, said: “The Bayes Centre provided the perfect backdrop for the signing of the transformative £1.3 billion City Region Deal in August and it is fitting now that it should be first of the projects to be officially opened.

“The £45 million facility is the first of five data-driven innovation hubs included in the Deal, all of which will help the region to become the data capital of Europe – as well as delivering significant skills, employment and economic benefits to the region.

“The Universities’ world-leading data science capabilities are already helping to provide new and better services to people across the South East Scotland City Region and these fantastic new facilities will only enhance these further.”

Earlier in her visit to the University, the Chancellor, The Princess Royal also visited the newly refurbished Lister Learning and Teaching Centre, where she met staff and students.

Universities unveil City Region Deal plan to tackle digital skills gap

The University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University will work together to train 100,000 people in data skills and help 1,000 organisations through data.

The University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University have launched a major initiative that includes plans to improve digital skills across south east Scotland. The new venture is set to transform Edinburgh and its surrounding area into the data capital of Europe.

The £661m Data-Driven Innovation initiative is a key part of the recently-announced Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. It aims to train 100,000 people in data skills over the next decade, from computer science specialists to traditional jobs that will increasingly use data.

It is estimated that Scotland needs around 13,000 extra workers each year with data skills as the workplace is transformed. The Scottish Government’s Digital Strategy, published in 2017, included plans to tackle this digital skills gap while growing the Scottish economy.

Together, the two universities will increase the provision of data science teaching for their students, and support schools and colleges across the region to provide digital skills teaching and training. The region’s supercomputing capabilities will also be strengthened with investment in a data analysis facility, which will help 1,000 organisations use data to innovate within their sectors.

Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, said:

 This exciting project – backed by £270m of UK Government investment – will ensure that the UK leads the world in technologies of the future and benefits from the economic growth opportunities this brings.

“By giving 100,000 people, and 1,000 companies, the skills and capability they need to drive innovation through big data and artificial intelligence, this partnership working will help maximise the potential of these sectors – a key goal of the UK Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.”

The Scottish Government’s Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson said:

“The £300m Scottish Government investment in the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal will help deliver inclusive economic growth across the region. The Data-Driven Innovation programme will be key to this, providing a significant step-change in our productivity.

“We are working to ensure Scotland is an internationally recognised vibrant, inclusive, open and outward-looking digital nation. I welcome the contribution that Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt Universities are making to ensure the new opportunities and benefits created by City Region Deal investment are spread across the region, providing individuals with the digital skills and aptitudes necessary to succeed while helping industry source the talent they need to grow and flourish.”

Professor Charlie Jeffery, Senior Vice Principal, University of Edinburgh, said:

“The University's strengths in data science have been driving innovation in the public and private sectors, for the past decade and more, through our research and the skills our graduates bring into the regional economy. The City Region Deal will now give us the capacity to do much more across a wider range of sectors, including healthcare, robotics and fintech. But perhaps the most important part of the Deal is our commitment to ensure people in the region can build the skills to flourish in the data-driven economy.

“So we are working not just in our universities, but also with schools, colleges and businesses so people have the opportunities to develop data skills across their life-course. This could include young people about to enter the workforce, women returning after career breaks, or people looking to reskill in mid-career. We know that data-driven innovation will bring economic growth - we want that growth to be inclusive and open to all.”

Professor Richard A Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, said:

“By working in partnership we can ensure our city community can prosper and achieve its obvious potential as the leading international research hub for digital innovation. Our frontier research and educational skills in digital technology and its application in artificial intelligence and robotics are already shaping and driving the future and taking Scottish innovation to the world.”

Jarmo Eskelinen has been appointed to lead the Data-Driven Innovation initiative. He comes to Edinburgh from his previous role as Chief Innovation and Technology Officer of the London-based Future Cities Catapult initiative. Welcoming his new role, Jarmo Eskelinen said:

“Data is the new soil, and collaboration the seeds. The Data-Driven Innovation initiative is unique in its ambition and scale. It’s been designed to reach out to the whole City Region, so we can develop and test new services to meet the needs of our citizens. 

“I am extremely honoured to join the programme team and have the chance to collaborate with and learn from the world-leading experts of the two Universities. I look forward to helping a diverse range of organisations benefit from the fast-developing field of data-driven innovation.”

The £1.3bn Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal was announced by the Prime Minister and First Minister at the University of Edinburgh on 7 August. It aims to drive growth for everyone across the area and includes investment in transport, housing, culture and skills and employability.

Further Information

Data-Driven Innovation website

Data-Driven Innovation launch short video