DataFest 2025

Hosted by The Data Lab, Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI, DataFest is Scotland's leading data & AI conference, where experts gather to discuss and shape the future of data & AI.

We bring together participants from industry, academia, and beyond to discuss, engage and learn about the latest developments in data & AI.

The last few years have seen an unprecedented shift in the way AI technologies are viewed and used. AI has been thrown into the limelight and is permeating throughout industries from law to construction and everything in between.

At DataFest 2025 we will help you navigate the world of data & AI with expert guides as we seek to understand how we can leverage these technologies for maximum impact.

Speakers (many more to be announced!)

• Zoe Kleinmann, Technology Editor, BBC

With over 20 years broadcasting experience, Zoe has been a leading voice in tech journalism, making tech news accessible to millions across BBC TV, radio and digital platforms. Zoe’s career has taken her from racing drones in the Nevada desert to climbing Mount Everest in Virtual Reality. She’s interviewed tech leaders like Apple CEO Tim Cook, covered Elon Musk’s controversial Twitter takeover, and led the BBC’s reporting on the UK government's AI Safety Summit.

• Orlando Machado, Chief Data Officer, the LEGO Group

Orlando Machado is a leading data scientist and AI expert, who has worked at the forefront of digital transformation for major global businesses. He was the first Chief Data Officer at the LEGO Group, enabling colleagues at the world’s most reputable brand to take advantage of cutting-edge technologies, whilst protecting the privacy of its most important consumers: children. Passionate about the advantages of a diverse workforce, Orlando has been a member of the Gender Equality Leadership Team at Business in the Community, and a Mentor for the 30% Club. Orlando was named a ‘World AI Top 50 innovator’ in 2022, and in 2023 received the DataIQ Professor Derek Holder lifetime achievement award for long-standing contributions to the data industry.

• Colin Jarvis, Head of Forward Deployed Engineering, OpenAI

Colin leads OpenAI’s Global Forward Deployed Engineering practice. This team of engineers are embedded into companies to build AI products that solve critical business problems. He is one of the world’s leading experts in the practical deployment of AI, having been responsible for OpenAI’s technical deployments at Colin leads teams embedding AI solutions in companies like Morgan Stanley, Mercado Libre and Orange to tackle real-world business challenges. and many others. He enjoys speaking about how to make AI work in the real world, and is passionate about using AI and LLMs to aid the preservation of lower-resourced languages, a topic he has published academic research on.

• Duncan Clark, Head of Europe, Canva

Based in Canva's London HQ, Duncan Clark oversees Canva across Europe. Since its launch in 2013, Canva has grown into a global all in one visual communication and collaboration platform with over 220 million monthly users and over 20 billion designs created across 190 countries. As a former data journalist at The Guardian and co-founder and CEO of Flourish, the data storytelling platform now part of Canva, Duncan brings a unique perspective on data visualisation, storytelling, and innovation.

• Daniel Hulme, CEO, Satalia / CEO, Conscium / Chief AI Officer, WPP

Daniel Hulme is a leading expert in AI, machine consciousness, and computational complexity. He has spent his career advising the UK Government, businesses, and global organisations on the economic, ethical, and societal implications of AI. He is known for challenging AI misconceptions, tackling complex problem-solving with technology, and exploring how organisations can adapt in an AI-driven world.

DataFest 2025 Schedule (Timings subject to change!)

• Day one - Pre-conference (14:30 – 19:00): Join us for our pre-con day! Meet cutting-edge organisations working with data & AI and connect with potential employers. We’ll also have a small programme of intimate sessions and workshops throughout the afternoon.

• Day two – Conference (08:30 – 17:00): Join us at DataFest 2025 for our full conference, with a world-class lineup of industry leading speakers, thought-provoking panels and opportunities to network with the data & AI community.

Claim CPD points at DataFest 2025

DataFest 2025 is a CPD accredited event!

The Data Lab is a member of the CPD Certification Service – by attending DataFest 2025 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.

Partner with us

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 ecosystem 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 Wheatley Group, Accenture, Teradata, Lloyds Banking Group, Caledonian MacBrayne, Elementz, Research Data Scotland, Talan, The Scottish Government, and our funder Scottish Funding Council.

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