Monthly theme - March 2026 - Infrastructure
March's theme in The Data Lab Community is Infrastructure.
Discussions around data centres and national infrastructure have frequently hit headlines over the past couple of years. Across government, industry and academia, data centres are increasingly framed as critical, economic catalysts, and the backbone of AI and digital transformation.
With plans for 'AI Growth Zones' to accelerate the build-out of AI data centres and increase sovereign capacity, discussions around connections to the grid, power requirements and links with renewable energy, what does an increased focus and development of national infrastructure mean for data and AI professionals, society, and the environment?
Stay tuned as we discuss this and more throughout March!
Events 🎟️
As part of our activities throughout the month, we're hosting and supporting a number of events related to our theme. Make sure to register for the evnets you'd like to attend via the links below!
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The Impact of Data Centres and Infrastructure for Data & AI Professionals - 10 March 2026 17:30 - 19:30 GMT [Edinburgh, UK + Online]
This month we're discussing what data centres mean for data professionals. We'll examine what increased investment in data centres in Scotland actually means for you. We'll cover where the real value lies, what the trade-offs are, and how infrastructure decisions at a national and strategic policy level shape analytics, governance, security amd sustainability.
If you are looking to learn about how infrastructure choices affect your work and be better equipped to contribute to infrastructure discussions within your organisation, this event is for you!
- Building Insight at Scale: Supporting Smarter, Evidence-led Health and Social Care Services - 25 March 2026 13:00 - 13:50 GMT [Online]
Seer is a growing capability designed to help public sector organisations turn data into practical insight and better decisions. It is managed by NHS National Services Scotland.
The platform provides national technology and infrastructure for data management and analytics across health and social care in Scotland. It enables users in government, health boards, and other public sector bodies to access high quality datasets, supporting the analysis needed to generate insights that improve services.
The session will cover the Seer architecture and how products are built on the platform, including the technology and design patterns that underpin them.
Upcoming themes 📆
Here's a reminder of what we have coming up for the rest of 2026!
- March - Infrastructure ⚙️
- April - Open Data 🌐
- May - Intelligent Futures 💡
- June - Energy & Net Zero 🌱
- July - Cybersecurity and Privacy 🔒
- August - Creative Industries and Gaming 🎨
- September - Financial Sector 🏦
- October - Health and Life Sciences 🦠
- November - Data Visualisation 📈
If you are interested in contributing to any of our monthly themes, let us know by completing this short form, and we'll get back to you with more info!
We'll help promote events that align with our themes to our 8000+ members, offering an excellent opportunity to reach new audiences and amplify your activities. If you would like some more info on how you can get involved, whether that is by organising an event or sharing other relevant content, get in touch at [email protected], and we'd be happy to chat!