SCOTLAND’S unique DataFest is to become an annual event, organisers confirmed yesterday.
Successfully launched in March, the inaugural DataFest17 was a festival of data innovation that showed Scotland’s strength within the growing global data landscape.
The organisers announced yesterday that plans for DataFest18 are already well underway with the first speaker, the BBC’s Joy of Data presenter and University College London researcher, Dr Hannah Fry, confirmed to return as a guest speaker.
The move to a recurring annual event confirms DataFest as Edinburgh’s newest Festival. Hosted by innovation centre, The Data Lab, DataFest18 will be held over five days, from March 19 to 23, 2018.
The organisers say this second DataFest will secure “the festival’s place as an annual event in the Scottish calendar, and Scotland’s position as an epicentre of international data-driven problem solving”.
Next year’s festival will have a focus on collaboration and bringing a variety of skills, specialities and sectors together to achieve innovation in data science under the banner #DataChangesEverything.
Over 2000 participants from 40 countries attended DataFest17 in March, ranging from school children to politicians, and academics to key industry players. Speakers included former chief scientist at Bitly and founder of Fast Forward Labs, Hilary Mason, and Marc Priestly, former McLaren F1 pit stop crew and expert in British motor racing technology.
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