Data, Digital and AI 2026

Description

Data, Digital and AI 2026 brings organisations and University of Edinburgh experts together in Edinburgh on 10 September to tackle real technical challenges. Hosted at the Bayes Centre,the University’s Innovation Hub for Data Science and AI,this hybrid AIMday workshop is designed for companies and organisations facing an AI, data or digital technology problem that has no ready-made solution. Rather than offering broad presentations, it creates focused conversations around challenges submitted by participating organisations. ## One question, one hour, expert insight AIMday stands for Academic Industry Meeting day. Its distinctive format is simple: **one question, one hour and a small group of academic experts**. Each purpose-built discussion gives participants space to examine a real-world problem, consider alternative approaches and identify where academic research could help de-risk innovation. The University of Edinburgh’s relevant expertise spans: - Artificial intelligence and data science - Generative AI opportunities and risks - Digital communications - Supercomputing - Quantum software - Data, digital and AI applications across sectors The University conducted Europe’s first AI research in the early 1960s and now has one of Europe’s largest computing departments, with more than 500 researchers. It also hosts the UK’s leading supercomputing centre. This breadth makes the workshop particularly useful for organisations exploring technically demanding questions that cross disciplines or require knowledge beyond their internal teams. ## Who should take part? The event is aimed at companies and other organisations with a specific technical challenge, as well as University of Edinburgh researchers and academics interested in applying their expertise to industry needs. Organisations must submit at least one challenge, phrased as a question, for discussion in a small workshop. Guidance is available on [creating your question](https://www.aimday.se/edinburgh/2026/data-digital-and-ai/creating-your-questions). The goal is not only to generate ideas during the session, but also to build relationships and identify potential partners for future collaboration. After AIMday, participating researchers can apply to an exclusive funding call to continue working with organisations on their challenges,giving promising conversations a possible route into a practical project.… [Register for this event](https://www.aimday.se/edinburgh/2026/data-digital-and-ai)