DataFest 2026

⌖ Edinburgh · Edinburgh Futures Institute, The University of Edinburgh

Hosted by Traveltech

University of Edinburgh students can spend a full day solving real-world festival challenges at this collaborative arts, culture and technology hackathon. Taking place on Friday 30 October 2026, from 9am to 5pm, the in-person event brings innovators, artists, developers, designers and festival enthusiasts together at the Edinburgh Futures Institute in Edinburgh. What to expect Festival partners will provide challenge prompts based on pressing issues faced by the Edinburgh Festivals. Participants will form multidisciplinary teams, combine their different perspectives and develop creative solutions designed to enhance the festival experience. The programme also includes insights from festival organisers and data visualisation leaders, covering challenges, opportunities and emerging directions across cultural events. Projects may explore how technology can help festivals reach wider audiences, strengthen their communities and make a more positive environmental impact. No specific technical experience requirement is stated; coders, designers and arts enthusiasts are all encouraged to contribute. Practical details: - Room 2.55, Floor 2, Edinburgh Futures Institute - 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9EF - Eight-hour, in-person format - Food and refreshments provided - Organised by Traveltech Get tickets for the hackathon

⌖ Edinburgh · Playfair Library Hall

Hosted by PauseAI UK

A Scotland-focused panel on AI responsibility brings politicians and technical and policy experts to Edinburgh on 1 November 2026. Hosted by PauseAI Scotland at the University of Edinburgh’s Playfair Library Hall, this structured discussion will examine a pressing question: who is responsible when AI goes wrong? Panellists will consider how Scotland’s political, technical and policy communities are modelling AI’s threats, uncertainties, opportunities and possible responses. The event description contrasts AI governance with tightly regulated fields such as aviation, pharmaceuticals and nuclear technology. It cites a 2026 UN report on AI, warnings from frontier AI professionals and a reported AI model evaluation security incident as context for the debate. Schedule - 13:30: Doors open - 14:00: Welcome and keynote - 14:30: Panel discussion - 15:30: Planned break - 15:45: Audience Q&A - 16:00: Closing and networking, with light refreshments The second half of the discussion is dedicated to audience questions, followed by informal conversation between attendees and panellists. The event is suited to anyone interested in AI safety, public policy and accountability; no specific experience level is stated. Individual panellists have not yet been published on the event page. The event takes place at Playfair Library Hall, University of Edinburgh, South Bridge, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, from 1:30pm–4:30pm GMT. Learn more about the organiser at PauseAI UK. Register for the panel discussion

⌖ Edinburgh · Stansted House, 3rd Floor, 12-14 Long Lane, London EC1A 9PN, UK

Hosted by The Investment Association (IA)

IA Conference Scotland 2026 brings investment leaders, policymakers and innovators to Edinburgh on 5 November for debate on AI, regulation and sustainable growth. Taking place at The Exchange, EH3 8EE, this flagship one-day conference from The Investment Association will examine how Scotland can strengthen its position as a global centre for investment management. More than 330 attendees from 110+ organisations are expected, including senior decision-makers, regulators and policymakers. What to expect The programme combines keynote speeches, leadership panels, fireside chats, presentations, interactive sessions and networking. Across 20+ thought-leadership sessions and more than eight hours of content, delegates will explore: - AI, digital transformation and technological disruption in asset management - Regulatory change, political developments and global market dynamics - Changing client expectations and the future of retail investing - Operational resilience amid cyber threats, geopolitical tension and supply-chain disruption - Talent, competitiveness and Scotland’s role in attracting capital - Sustainable growth and the investment industry’s contribution to UK prosperity An AI-focused debate featuring Dr Sonia Schulenburg of Level E Research will ask whether artificial intelligence is an incremental development or a fundamental shift for asset management, and consider how it is already reshaping the industry. Speakers and sessions The day begins with breakfast and networking from 08:00, followed by the main conference programme. John Owen, CEO of The Investment Association, will deliver his first address at the Scottish conference before moderating a leadership panel with Xavier Meyer of Aberdeen, Kirstie MacGillivray of Aegon, Sandra Boss of BlackRock and Scott Wallace of Aberforth Partners. Further highlights include: - A conversation with Stephen Flynn MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, on Scotland’s economic priorities and investment-led growth - A resilience fireside chat with Kenneth MacKay of M&G Asset Management - Miranda Seath’s launch of new IA analysis into boutique asset management in 2026, with a focus on Scotland - A discussion about how demographics, technology and changing attitudes to risk are transforming investing for individuals… Register for this event

Sponsors: FundGuard

⌖ Edinburgh · Codebase

Hosted by TechTalks Edinburgh

Learn how to judge whether AI-written code makes a codebase safer or riskier at TechTalks Edinburgh 10, taking place at CodeBase in Edinburgh on 10 November 2026. Legacy in Months, Not Years Lead Software Engineer Dmitriy Fedoryshchev will share lessons from modernising a 600-table, 21 TB legacy core into microservices after four previous attempts. His squad adopted a custom multi-agent system while following one central doctrine: only merge code that can be understood and explained. The talk explores how to assess agent-written code, identify the rules AI agents repeatedly break, and turn those rules into automated checks that agents cannot skip. Dmitriy brings experience spanning startups and enterprises, plus more than 100 merged open-source pull requests across 20 projects, including Anthropic, OpenAI and Microsoft. This meetup is relevant to software engineers, technical leads and anyone interested in AI-assisted development, maintainability and open-source tooling. Both experienced professionals and people earlier in their tech careers are welcome. Agenda - 6:00–6:30pm: Drinks, pizza and introductions - 6:30–6:40pm: Opening talk - 6:40–7:30pm: Main talk - 7:30–7:45pm: Q&A - 7:45–8:00pm: Networking and close - From 8:00pm: Afterparty at a nearby pub The event takes place at CodeBase, 38 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH3 9DZ. Partners include CodeBase, Dougray, Scottish Technology Club, Beyond Tech and Lyxonn. Photography and video will be captured for social media; notify the organisers if you prefer not to appear. Register for TechTalks Edinburgh 10.

Sponsors: CodeBase · Dougray +3

⌖ Edinburgh · Jamaica Yard

Hosted by Founders Coffee Club

Founders Coffee Club brings relaxed, pitch-free founder networking and a day of coworking to Jamaica Yard in Edinburgh on 12 November 2026. Built around a simple promise, no speeches, no presentations and no selling, this in-person meetup gives founders space to have genuine conversations without sitting through formal talks or navigating sales pitches. Turn up, grab a coffee and meet other people building businesses across Edinburgh’s founder community. What to expect The scheduled networking session runs from 10:00am to 11:00am GMT at Jamaica Yard, 3 Jamaica Street, Edinburgh EH3 6HH. The event also includes coworking for the day, so attendees can continue working from the venue after the morning meetup rather than heading straight back to the office or working alone. There is no speaker programme or prescribed agenda. Instead, the format centres on informal, founder-to-founder networking: - Meet other founders over coffee - Exchange experiences in a sales-free setting - Build local connections without formal presentations - Stay for coworking during the rest of the day This is a founders-only event. It is particularly welcoming to people who find traditional networking daunting or who are attending Founders Coffee Club for the first time. The hosts say newcomers will be greeted on arrival and introduced to someone immediately, helping conversations start naturally rather than leaving attendees to work the room alone. Tickets and organiser Tickets cost £15, and registration is subject to host approval. The meetup is presented by Founders Coffee Club, which hosts networking events for founders across the UK. You can also follow the organiser on Instagram or LinkedIn. The Edinburgh gathering forms part of a recurring series held on the second Thursday of each month, offering founders a regular opportunity to reconnect, meet new peers and spend a productive day working alongside others. Request to join and get your ticket

⌖ Edinburgh · A&DS:SpACE (access via Middle Meadow Walk)

Hosted by Architecture and Design Scotland (A&DS)

Explore how generative AI is reshaping architectural practice at this in-person event in Edinburgh on 12 November 2026. Hosted by Architecture and Design Scotland (A&DS), the afternoon brings academics and practitioners together to examine how emerging AI tools are being adopted across architectural and urban design workflows. The discussion will cover AI’s potential to enhance innovation and productivity, particularly for small and medium-sized practices in Scotland, alongside its practical limitations. Speakers and topics Headline contributors include Dr Juliana Martins, Bahar Durmaz-Drinkwater, Kathryn Firth and Pei-Chin Lin. Attendees will hear perspectives from UCL Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment and Arup, followed by a panel featuring Graham Ross of Austin-Smith:Lord and other contributors. Topics include: - The changing role of designers and the future job market - Integrating generative AI into professional workflows - Intellectual property, authorship and accountability - Environmental, social and ethical implications - Opportunities and challenges specific to Scottish practice The event runs 12:30–17:00 at A&DS:SpACE, 1 Lauriston Place, accessed via Middle Meadow Walk. Registration opens at 12:30 with tea, coffee and water, followed by headline presentations from 13:00, a break and panel discussion. A&DS:SpACE is a collaborative venue focused on the built environment. Get tickets for Demystifying AI in Architectural Design