Monthly theme - April 2026 - Open Data
April's theme in The Data Lab Community is Open Data!
Open data is information that is made freely available for anyone to access, use, and share. A community resource that can fuel creativity and problem solving. Open data has the potential to spark new ideas, support transparency, and improve public services.
However, it is not without its challenges. Privacy, data accuracy and long-term upkeep all take careful planning. But, when done well, open data can unlock huge value for communities, organisations and innovators.
Throughout April we'll be discussing open data from a variety of perspectives, looking at issues around discoverability in the age of agentic AI, benefits to communities and organisations and the challenges in architecting large-scale open data projects.
Events 🎟️
As part of our activities throughout the month, we're running a whole host of events and webinars related to the theme. Make sure to register for the ones you'd like to attend via the links below!
- The Global Vector Hub: A Data-Driven Platform for Vector-Borne Disease Preparedness - 13 April 2026 10:00 - 11:00 BST [Online] - Supported Event
Join Dr Frederik Seelig for an introduction to the Global Vector Hub - an open-access, interactive platform that has the potential to revolutionise how we prepare for and respond to vector-borne disease outbreaks - enabling faster, more coordinated, and more effective action on a global scale.
- Architecting the Future of National Open Data - 16 April 2026 14:00 - 15:00 BST [Online]
Join Prof. Elena Simperl, Director of Research at the Open Data Institute to learn how the role of open data has shifted from a transparency requirement, to the foundational fuel for sovereign AI. In this session Elena will explore the role of LLMs in designing and improving national-scale data architecture, and how they are being deployed to solve the two oldest problems in the field: the friction of publishing, and the frustration of discovery.
- We Build Together – Public Sector Open Data for Scotland - 23 April 2026 13:00 - 13:50 BST [Online]
Learn about the development of the new platform for the Scottish Government's open data services - modernising how open data is published, accessed and used. Hear about the core findings from 5 years of user research, and the plans for further development in 2026 and beyond.
- Open Data: Dundee Data Meetup x The Data Lab Community - 28 April 2026 18:00 - 20:00 BST [Dundee, UK]
Open Data has the power to unlock innovation, empower communities, and drive meaningful change across sectors—from public services and research to business and the creative industries. In the spirit of collaboration, come along for a joint event between Dundee Data Meetup and The Data Lab Community where we'll explore how open datasets are being used and look at the opportunities (and challenges) of building with openly available information.
Whether you're a data professional, student, policy enthusiast, technologist, or simply interested in the potential of open data, this event is for you!
- Open Isn't Enough: Rethinking Data for AI Agents - 1 May 2026 12:30 - 13:30 BST [Online]
Open data is more abundant than ever, but abundance doesn't guarantee usability. As AI agents become capable of autonomously discovering, retrieving and reasoning over datasets, the gap between data that is published and data that is truly Agent-ready is widening fast. In this session, we survey what it actually means to prepare open data for the age of AI.
Upcoming themes 📆
Here's a reminder of what we have coming up for the rest of 2026!
- 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!