Events

Data was at the heart of the public sector’s response to the pandemic, as it collected and used data in new ways, often at pace, to meet unexpected challenges.

We must now maintain this positive momentum, whilst determining which of these new measures remain suitable and what the future of data protection will look like following Schrems II and Brexit.

The 2021 edition of Holyrood Connect’s highly successful Data Protection series is your opportunity to join our experts, share experiences and learn about the latest developments and best practice from across the globe.

Confirmed Speakers

• Elizabeth Denham, Information Commissioner, ICO
• Mairead Wood, Head of DPO Share Service, HEFESTIS
• Andy Grayland, CISO, Scottish Local Government Digital Office
• Richmond Davies, Head of Information Governance and Data Protection Officer,
  Public Health Scotland
• Kenneth Meechan, Head of Information and Data Protection Officer, Glasgow City
  Council
• Anna Drozd, Interim Head of Office, UK Law Societies Brussels Office

Why Attend?

• Learn everything you need to know about data breaches, from resilience and
  response through to recovery
• Discover how your organisation can build data protection into your organisation and
  the services you deliver at a foundational level
• Take stock of the current state of public sector data protection and whether
  organisations need to undergo a period of data demobilisation
• From certification to codes of conduct, we’ll discuss priorities for ensuring the data
  protection profession can evolve and remain at the cutting edge
• Review the ICO’s post-COVID updates to the Data Sharing Code of Practice and
  what these might mean for Scotland’s public sector
• Finally, with a new information commissioner taking office and questions over
  Schrems ll and Brexit, we’ll look at the future of data protection

The agenda is updated regularly, so please visit the website to see the latest line-up.

The Edinburgh edition of Cleantech Forum Europe takes the stage at Edinburgh International Conference Centre on 6-8 October 2021.

The three-day event unites entrepreneurs, investors, corporates and other members of the sustainable innovation ecosystem to solve some of the biggest challenges facing humanity.

The agenda promises thought-provoking discussion on topics as diverse as clean energy, agtech, electric vehicles and recycling. Plus, you’ll enjoy opportunities to network with leaders from across Europe and meet innovators dedicated to the latest technologies transforming the battle for a future we can all live with.

Sign up now below to get event updates.

CmdR ScotSoft is the leading tech conference in Scotland and has been running for more than 20 years. It’s an annual festival of ideas and innovation that showcases the best of the Scottish technology sector and brings you sought after speakers from far flung locations.

We seek to help technology businesses and professionals focus on future trends, opportunities for growth, look at personal development in leadership skills and strategies and help the digital community in Scotland prosper. This year will be no different.

We’ll bring together a community like-minded professionals to learn from the very best within our industry – only instead of connecting in person during the day, we’ll do it in a virtual environment.

We’ll be running parallel sessions throughout the day focussing on things your business can do to recover and grow, taking a deep dive into core subjects including cloud, AI, languages and security, and also looking at how technology can help transform non-tech businesses, highlighting some of the best solutions Scotland has to offer.

Some of our confirmed speakers so far include: Bonnie Dunbar, professor of aerospace engineering and inductee of the Astronaut Hall of Fame; Lars Klint, author, trainer, Microsoft MVP, community leader, and Microsoft Azure expert; and Ali Law, Associate at Hanya Partners and all round digital guru.

So, if you’re a practitioner, leader or just an interested observer, book your space now.

These workshops from Pragmatic Leadership and Decode Cyber Solutions develop leaders to create a cyber secure culture within organisations. In today’s world, leaders must understand cyber risk and be equipped to lead and embed a cyber secure culture across organisations.

Cyber security is poorly understood and often seen as ‘IT’s job’. As a result, businesses are vulnerable and face significant financial exposure. The workshops focus on raising leaders awareness of those cyber risks, while also developing strategies for use within their organisations. These strategies enable leaders to embed a culture where a collective responsibility for cyber security is achieved.

The aim of the workshops are to equip leaders with the tools to embed a ‘business as usual’ approach to cyber security. Building a metaphoric ‘ring of steal’ around the business is the responsibility of all employees – but few businesses understand this. Every day, employees should adopt habits that are part of the ‘safety routine’ – much like those who may work in sectors where Health and Safety practices are part of the normal routine of work. The workshops focus on the role of all leaders and how to embed a cyber secure culture – forming habits that become second nature for everyone within the business, leaving their businesses less vulnerable to attack and losses.

This is the last in a series of workshops running over four consecutive weeks. The total cost for all four workshops is £160 +VAT

We are delighted that we’ll be able to bring the Young Software Engineer of the Year Awards back in person this year.

As always, the YSE Awards showcase some of the brightest minds our universities have to offer.  Nominees are drawn from recent graduates of computer science (and related undergraduate degrees) and the winners decided by our panel of judges, who have over 100 years combined industry experience.  You’ll have the opportunity to meet them all throughout dinner and watch as their dissertation topics are showcased during the evening.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the Young Software Engineer of the Year Awards without a champagne reception to kick the night off. We’ll then take our seats for a lavish three course meal, before watching the Awards and hearing from our special after-dinner speaker – world-renowned Social Engineer and keynote speaker, Jenny Radcliffe.

We’re working with the EICC and the Scottish Government to ensure it’s as safe as possible for you to bring your guests to.  We’ll follow all the rules and restrictions in place at the time and will communicate these to you before the dinner takes place.

Get in touch to book a table. It’ll be more ‘exclusive’ than past years, with numbers a little more restricted than usual to ensure that everyone feels comfortable. Bookings are therefore on a first come, first served basis so we urge you to secure your place as soon as possible so you don’t miss out.

Table prices are as following:

• Table of 10 (ScotlandIS member) – £1800 + VAT
• Table of 10 (non-member) – £2000 + VAT
• Individual dinner ticket – £180 + VAT

In Scotland we are well placed to facilitate emerging Climate Tech into our digital and tech ecosystem.

Data-driven innovation is a cornerstone of Scotland’s tech ecosystem and is well supported by cutting-edge innovation centres, and Climate Tech is fostering an even closer relationship with Scotland’s data ecosystem.

Join us on 14th October and hear from our speakers highlighting the scale of innovation taking place and the opportunities for Scotland’s digital and tech sector.

Come along and learn about how we can seize this opportunity on a global scale.

We will be joined by:

• Darran Gardner, Innovation Specialist at The Data Lab, who will cover the role of data led innovation in addressing our net zero targets.

• Murray Collins, CEO of Space Intelligence, will focus on the latest work Space Intelligence has undertaken with Nature Scot around the Can Do Innovation Challenge.

Open APIs can be immensely powerful – by enabling data connectivity they can power innovation and creativity, allowing anyone from huge businesses to individual developers to build new products and services.

In this session, AND Digital’s Matt Adams will discuss how he designed an API to open up data from one of the world’s largest football clubs. He’ll explain how his project opens up a huge range of opportunities for developers to leverage the available data in their own projects.

Matt will discuss building the API with software such as KrakenD API Gateway and Cognito, Facebook’s powerful query language GraphQL, and NGINX. He’ll also explain how the API platform will form a basis for engineers to innovate and develop new applications, demonstrating how these emerging technologies can unlock amazing business – or even just creative – opportunities.

Join for unique insights on why open source technologies are crucial for driving forward the possibilities of a rich and diverse API ecosystem.

This session is part of AND Digital’s and ScotlandIS’ Tech Week. Running from 18th-22nd October, Tech Week will feature Scotland’s best and brightest tech talents, who will showcase our dynamic digital sector and discuss the issues that matter in the industry today.

Topics Covered

• Welcome & intro
• Day 2 day at AND
• Thoughts behind the project
• Graph QL & the challenges behind it
• Authentication with AWS
• Hosting using Docker
• Using an API gateway for rate limiting
• Q&A

As Scotland became more reliant on technology during the pandemic, with digital and online solutions underpinning the way we work, learn, shop, and socialise, the digital divide also grew. In light of this, the Scottish Government has put inclusion and participation at the heart of its new Digital Strategy.

It is vital that all elements of society have the means to thrive online. Join Nobody Left Behind (19 October) to examine the Scottish Government’s proposals and discuss what can be done to reduce inequalities and bridge the digital divide.

Why Attend?

• Learn lessons from grassroots initiatives in Scotland and further afield, on how they
  have developed projects for tackling digital exclusion and increasing participation
• Hear from representatives of groups affected by exclusion as they discuss changes
  that would improve digital inclusion
• Join key stakeholders in assessing the impact of COVID-19 on digital exclusion
• Digital exclusion is typically a result of a lack of skills, equipment, or connectivity.

We’ll examine each of these in detail, with access to the latest thinking on how they can be overcome at a societal level.

Confirmed Speakers

• Pamela Tulloch, CEO, Scottish Library and Information Council
• Michael McLaughlin, HACT Social Impact Lead, SFHA
• Aaron Slater, Digital Participation Project Manager, SCVO
• Meg Thomas, Head of Policy & Participation, Includem
• Chaired by Iqbal Bedi, Consulting Director, Intelligens Consulting

The agenda is updated regularly, so please visit the website to see the latest line-up.

Serverless computing: where did it come from? What role should it play in software engineering today? And what does its future look like? These are questions worth exploring if we’re to leverage serverless in a way that makes an impact.

In this session – run in collaboration with ScotlandIS – you’ll hear from AND Digital’s Andrew De Rozario as he opens up the story of serverless by putting it into the context of both the tech industry and the wider demands of business. He’ll offer first-hand insights from his experience using serverless set-ups in many different types of projects, and reflect on where it has proved effective and where it can also pose challenges and risks.

This session is designed for engineers who are interested in technology trends and industry shifts, and senior leaders that want a better understanding of the specific ways that serverless computing can provide real benefits to their organisation. This is an opportunity to get a practical perspective that joins the dots between the technical and the commercial aspects of the digital function.

This session is part of AND Digital’s and ScotlandIS’ Tech Week. Running from 18th-22nd October, Tech Week will feature Scotland’s best and brightest tech talents, who will showcase our dynamic digital sector and discuss the issues that matter in the industry today.

Speakers: Christina McKitrick, CSR Manager, RJ McLeod (Contractors) Ltd; Gillian O’Neil, Founder & CEO, 29 Studios; Dr Nicola Crawford, Programme Director, DYW Glasgow

Our October events will be dedicated to youth employability, and we will be collaborating with Developing the Young Workforce Glasgow. We believe that young people can bring new energy and skills to organisations, unleashing productivity. At the same time, businesses investing in the young workforce will help Scotland retain talent, benefitting local economies.

We will hear from employers who’ve offered an apprenticeship to a young person and how this benefited their business. We will also hear from a DYW Glasgow representative who will tell us about support and funding for employers interested in an apprenticeship or other young person employment or placement opportunities. There will be time for networking, a group discussion and a Q&A session.

We are keeping our events online for a little bit longer, but we plan to return to in-person as soon as possible.

Containerisation has been one of the most significant trends in the software industry of the last decade. But what is it, exactly? And how could it benefit your engineers and your organisation as a whole?

In this session you’ll hear from AND Digital’s Jim Walker as he explains containers and the key technologies behind them, including Docker and Kubernetes.

Jim will give an overview of the emergence of containers and Docker, before performing a demo where he will build a container from scratch. He’ll offer a technical perspective on what this means for engineers, before joining the dots to the immense value this way of building software can offer businesses: modularity, flexibility, and speed.

If you’ve ever wondered exactly what all the fuss is about Docker, Kubernetes, and containerisation in general, this is the event for you – not only will you get the big picture, you’ll also see it in action.

This session is part of AND Digital’s and ScotlandIS’ Tech Week. Running from 18th-22nd October, Tech Week will feature Scotland’s best and brightest tech talents, who will showcase our dynamic digital sector and discuss the issues that matter in the industry today.

Simple, elegant products are often powered by complex infrastructure. This requires serious attention to detail and a robust approach to testing and resiliency. This is particularly important in financial services where trust, security and availability are fundamental to the customer proposition.

In this session with AND Digital’s James Rhead, you’ll hear how we ensure software resiliency for a large banking client through rigorous and consistent testing. James will cover why testing matters, how to communicate and evangelise for it when there is pressure to deliver quickly, and how it can be better integrated into your development workflows.

The event will look at testing across the stack, and explore a number of different approaches to testing – including unit, integration, and acceptance tests – and when and why they should be used.

This is an event for anyone interested in better managing complexity and bridging the gap between rapid delivery and security and stability.

This session is part of AND Digital’s and ScotlandIS’ Tech Week. Running from 18th-22nd October, Tech Week will feature Scotland’s best and brightest tech talents, who will showcase our dynamic digital sector and discuss the issues that matter in the industry today.

There is a gender imbalance in the security sector, but as the sector is in desperate need of skilled workers, we discuss what can be done to help encourage more women to pursue a career in cyber security.

Host: Ciara Mitchell – Head of Cyber Security at ScotlandIS

Guests:

Irene Coyle – Director of Training /DPO  at OSP Cyber Academy

Iqra Haq – Cyber Security Analyst at Celerity

No need to register, you can watch the broadcast from 11am on 20th October via the ‘Learn More’ link below.

Earlier this year North, R3-IoT Limited and CENSIS commissioned Intelligens Consulting to undertake research into the rollout and adoption of IoT networks and any barriers preventing take-up.

Join Intelligens on 20 October 2021 to uncover the research report findings directly from the report’s author Iqbal Singh Bedi, Alasdair Rettie (Group Technical Director, North) , Allan Cannon (CEO, R3IoT) and Dr. Stephen Milne (Business Development, CENSIS). Places are limited so register early to avoid disappointment. Keynote will be delivered by Iain Stewart MP, Deputy Secretary of State for Scotland, Scotland Office.

With a focus on IoT in the public sector – in particular, how local authorities can use IoT to strengthen council services while reducing costs and increasing productivity – this webinar will explore the incorporation of IoT as part of a wider smart place/smart city strategy. Exemplar case studies of IoT in Scotland across a range of end markets will also be presented.

On the day, you will hear report recommendations that will help you overcome deployment barriers, make a commercial business case, understand the RoI achievable through investment in IoT, reduce exposure to risk, manage change, identify procurement strategies, and find partners to deliver your IoT solution.

This event will be of particular interest to:

• Chief Executives of local authorities interested smart city or smart place strategies

• Heads of Service who want to understand how IoT can deliver stronger local public services

• IT service leads interested in taking a first step into IoT or want to know how to scale up.

• Economic development staff interested in attracting and stimulate private sector investment and understanding the social, economic and environmental benefits of IoT

Draft agenda

• 14:00 Welcome and introduction, report author Iqbal Bedi, Intelligens Consulting

• 14:05 Opening remarks, Iain Stewart MP, Deputy Secretary of State for Scotland

• 14:15 Research report findings, Part 1, Iqbal Bedi

• 14:25 Use cases and examples of IoT applications in Scotland, Dr Stephen Milne, CENSIS

• 14:40 Accelerating IoT in Scotland, Alastair Rettie, North

• 14:55 Report research findings, Part 2, Iqbal Bedi

• 15:10 What role does space technology play in IoT adoption?, Allan Cannon, R3-IoT

• 15:20 Report research findings, Part 3, Iqbal Bedi

• 15:30 Final Q&A and wrap up

• 15:45 Event concludes

Speakers: Mary Holland, Director of DYW North East, Simon Hewitt, Principal at Dundee &Angus College, Denise Campbell at Career Ready

Our October events will be dedicated to youth employability, and we will be collaborating with Developing the Young Workforce North East, Dundee and Angus College and Career Ready. We know that young people can bring new energy and skills to organisations, unleashing productivity. At the same time, businesses investing in the young workforce will help Scotland retain talent, benefitting local economies.

We will hear from Mary Holland, Director of DYW North East talking about a new joint initiative with DYW Moray, and Simon Hewitt, Principal at Dundee &Angus College who offer a wide range of courses all designed to help improve future employment prospects.

We will also hear from Denise Campbell at Career Ready who will tell us about support for employers interested in mentoring a young person. There will be time for networking, a group discussion, and a Q&A session.

We are keeping our events online for a little bit longer, but we plan to return to in-person as soon as possible.

Join the FarrPoint & R3-IoT webinar on 26 October to find out how to prepare and minimise business disruption ahead of the analogue (PSTN and ISDN) switch-off.

2025 will see the completion of the official ‘analogue switch off’ – with digital services replacing the existing legacy analogue telephone infrastructure across the UK. Phasing out of PSTN and ISDN has already begun. The analogue switch-off will have a direct impact on all organisations, but especially those with multiple sites and locations, or based in remote areas. Business readiness is key to ensure a smooth transition.

If only it was as simple as flipping a switch

While 2025 might seem a while away yet, but given wider business considerations it is not really. Organisations need to assess current operations, infrastructure, and dependencies to inform their next move. How many sites, and what business applications rely on traditional telephony services? What about new site requirements now that PSTN and ISDN are being phased out? How reliable are alternative communications solutions in different geographies?

No doubt, the end goal for many organisations is to ensure that they embed a future-proof alternative solution and minimise business disruption. But how?

What to expect at the webinar?

Join us for an informative 45-minute webinar at 10 am on 26 October where we will explore how organisations can assess potential impacts and prioritise requirements, understand available solutions, and minimise business disruption.

FarrPoint will co-host the webinar alongside R3-IoT. Presenters Calum Lamont (Director, FarrPoint) and Craig Flemming (Head of Business Development, R3-IoT) will be joined by Duncan MacAulay, ICT Team Manager Network Communications, at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to discuss:

• Key dates and what they mean
• Assessing business requirements and readiness
• The connectivity jigsaw piece
• Minimising business disruption

The webinar will conclude with a Q&A session with the presenters.

Who is the webinar suitable for?

The webinar is aimed at those working within IT, communications, projects and infrastructure within private and public organisations.

Transport innovation is a leading player in Scotland’s journey to become net-zero in greenhouse gas emissions.

The greater demand for transport services combined with an increase in population size means that the transportation sector is the only area with an upward trend of C02 emissions. Transport remains a crucial part of our economy and society, therefore we must think creatively.

Join us on 26th October to learn about one of our leading strengths in this sector: Mobility as a Service (MaaS), the integration of various transport modes into a single mobility service.

You will find out more about the application of technologies in MaaS, Tourism and Aviation in reducing carbon emissions.

We will be joined by:

• Ally McInroy, Technology Scotland, who will discuss the role MaaS has to play in delivering sustainability and new modes of transport for businesses and citizens as a whole.
• Josh Ryan-Saha, Travel Tech for Scotland, who will discuss Scotland’s latest cluster and the role travel and tourism can play on our journey towards net zero.
• Albert Seubers, Director Global Strategy IT in Cities at Atos, will share his vision and experience on how quality of information shared leads to more sustainable choices, with examples on mobility vs digital presence, logistics and waste collection.
• Jan-Joost van Kan, Smart Society Social Architect at Atos, will highlight how Digital Twins can lead to meaningful discussions from a multitude of angles on the direction of our societies, with examples from mobility and air pollution, tourism and safety, where transition management plays at least as big a role as technology.