Tourism and food & drink among sectors pegged to benefit from data innovation

The potential of digital technology and innovation for organisations in Fife and the Scottish Borders has been highlighted in white papers from the City Region Deal’s Data-Driven Innovation (DDI) initiative.

The reports explain the potential for both local authority areas to harness DDI and boost sectors, including food and drink, renewable energy, and tourism, and in the delivery of public services, from remote healthcare through to demand-led public transport.

Delivered by the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University as part of the City Region Deal, the DDI initiative aims to enhance data capability across key industry sectors to establish the city region as the Data Capital of Europe.

Jarmo Eskelinen, director of the DDI initiative, said: “The DDI initiative is already helping diverse sectors share ideas, challenges, and experiences to support south-east Scotland’s tech and innovation ecosystems. But DDI’s potential is not limited to organisations that traditionally rely on digital technology. By better gathering and analyse of information, many organisations can develop products and services to better meet the needs of their customers.”

The two reports are the product of research by academics at the University of Edinburgh working in close collaboration with Scottish Borders Council and Fife Council.

The newly published consultation on the Regional Prosperity Framework for the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region sets out the basis on which partners are likely to mount future regional investment bids. Data will be vital, in capturing insights for any such bids and in driving prosperity and well-being as investment programmes are developed and delivered.

As partners in the City Region Deal, experts at the University of Edinburgh’s DDI initiative stand ready to help the region achieve these objectives.

Book now for our conference Doing Data Better, 30 September 2021

The City Region Deal’s Data-Driven Innovation (DDI) initiative will team up with the Scotsman newspaper on 30 September to deliver Doing Data Better, a free-to-attend virtual event that will bring together experts from a range of fields to discuss data’s role in tackling major global challenges.

Keynotes will come from two leading commentators: writer and broadcaster Jamie Bartlett, author of The People Vs Tech, who will discuss doing data better to protect privacy; and Allison Schrager, author of An Economist Walks into a Brothel, which takes a look at unexpected places to understand risk. At the conference, Allison will discuss how understanding risk is key to doing data better.

The event builds on two previous conferences, which focused on ethics (DOING DATA RIGHT in 2019) and collaboration (DOING DATA TOGETHER in 2020) and will examine how we harness ethical and collaborative approaches.

Jarmo Eskelinen, DDI’s Executive Director, said: “Data innovation is being used more and more as part of the solution to major global challenges. It will feature in the planning and forecasting for future pandemics and play an important role in reducing the effects of climate change. As part of the University of Edinburgh and the City Region Deal, the DDI initiative is uniquely placed to play a key role in these efforts, working between researchers, industry and government at local and national levels. I urge anyone interested in the increasingly important role of data to book their place at our conference and learn more about how collecting, analysing and drawing insights from data can create better futures for us all.”

Alongside keynote talks, the conference will include expert panel discussions where industry and academic experts will discuss data’s role in four big themes: climate change, future pandemics, tourism and economic recovery, and social & financial inclusion.

Join us as we discuss DOING DATA BETTER – at a time when we need to do this more than ever.

scotsmandataconference.co.uk

Podcast: Can data help families in the City Region escape poverty and social isolation?

The latest instalment in the podcast series between the City Region Deal's Data-Driven Innovation programme and the Scotsman examines how data can support families in the Edinburgh city region suffering from poverty and social isolation. 

A new project, the City Region Deal's Intensive Family Support Service, is harnessing data to ensure the benefits of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal - especially new job opportunities  - are fairly spread throughout society. 

Sarah Galey-Horn of the University of Edinburgh discusses how the new project is seeking to find great examples of family support, and to share that brilliant work across the region.  She is joined by Kate Kelman of the Capital City Partnership and Laura Millar from Fife Gingerbread to explain how data is used and how expertise is pooled to make the lives of families across the city region better. The panel also explore how the pandemic has changed their approach to tackling this issue. From Fife Gingerbread organising evenings for lone parents on zoom to parents building support networks online. 

To listen to the podcast, please click on this link.

Doing Data Together - Ethical collaboration through Covid-19 and beyond Virtual conference

Friday 6 November 2020, 10am-4pm GMT

Register for the free-to-attend event: scotsmandataconference.co.uk

City Region Deal partner the University of Edinburgh will hold its third Data-Driven Innovation conference (held jointly with the Scotsman newspaper) on Friday 6 November 2020.

Join experts from inside the City Region, and beyond, to hear about the enormous challenges - and real opportunities - in our increasingly data-rich world.

Covid-19 is the first pandemic where the response has been truly data-driven, with real-time information at the heart of life-or-death decisions throughout the crisis.

How did Government, health services and other public bodies collaborate - often at great speed - to inform those decisions? What lessons have we learned to help us emerge from the pandemic and ensure we share and analyse data more effectively in future?

We’ll be addressing these and many other questions with an excellent programme of speakers, including:

• Ben Macpherson, Minister for Public Finance and Migration

• Professor Shannon Vallor, Baillie Gifford Chair in the Ethics of Data and Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh

• Dr Kenneth Meechan, Head of Information and Data Protection Officer Glasgow City Council

• Professor Alexander Pentland, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Professor Devi Sridhar, Chair of Global Public Health, University of Edinburgh

• Timandra Harkness, writer, broadcaster and comedian

• Professor Jason Leitch, National Clinical Director, Scottish Government

The Data-Driven Innovation initiative is a key deliverable of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, and comprises a network of innovation hubs that bring researchers together with businesses, charities, and the public sector, at the crossroads of data science, research, and real-world challenges – where exciting innovations can take place.

Register for free: scotsmandataconference.co.uk

Borders College Shortlisted for leading the way in Data Science learning

An innovative partnership programme funded through the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal is benefitting students across the region, by allowing not only full-time students to learn about Data Driven Innovation (DDI) but also those who are unemployed or facing redundancy. 

The programme at Borders College has been shortlisted for a national award at the annual CDN (College Development Network) Awards – one of the most prestigious awards in the sector. Core Skills staff at Borders College developed a project-based approach to their course delivery and assessment. This approach has enabled the lecturers to develop the digital, data and meta-skills of the learners that relate more specifically to the needs of the employers. The shortlisting recognises a college that has anticipated the importance of wider skills development and reflected this across the curriculum. The winners will be announced at a virtual celebration on Thursday 3 December 2020.  

Borders College Principal Angela Cox said: 

“I am delighted that the creativity and hard work of the staff is being recognised in this way. Borders College prides itself on providing our community with the skills they need now and in the future. Accessing and interpreting data is an essential skill irrespective of the sector you want to work in and we are delighted to be working with University of Edinburgh on developing these skills, alongside other City Region Deal partners.”  

Alison Muckersie from University of Edinburgh, the Data-Driven Innovation Skills Gateway lead, commented: 

“The team at the Borders College has embraced the opportunity provided by the significant City Region Deal investment to prepare their students for the fast-changing world of work. Data skills are becoming increasingly important across all jobs and sectors, and are key to ensuring ongoing competitiveness for businesses. By embedding data literacy in their core skills programme the College is recognising this trend and is helping their students to be better equipped for the world of work, regardless of the roles they move into.” 

The programme consists of a pilot group of unemployed individuals that are developing data literacy skills online and meet up with their tutor on a weekly basis for support and advice. This pilot group is learning about Data Citizenship, Data Science, Information Technology Skills and Communication. The group will complete their course in December, with the hope that they will have the skills to gain employment in an increasingly competitive and changing jobs market.  

The digital technology and data revolution has put data at the core of many things, from personal privacy to public health, wealth creation to environmental protection. This is particularly important for employers, whether large or small businesses, public sector organisations or charities, because using data to create or improve products and services is key to unlocking economic growth and job creation. 

By moving to more digital solutions and using data to update business models, organisations can develop and take advantage of new and innovative ways of operating. To do this successfully, businesses need to have a workforce that is fit for purpose. 

Rapidly evolving technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics are increasing the demand for highly-skilled workers, but every type of work is affected. It is estimated that 90% of jobs already require digital skills. And while some jobs will disappear altogether as automation spreads, new jobs and whole new areas of work will emerge. 

The college has recognised the importance of developing these skills and has embedded the programme into their core curriculum. It is currently being taught online to over 170 full time students across a range of subjects (Construction, Business, Hospitality, Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy, Sport and Horse care).