Data-Driven Innovation (DDI), Edinburgh

Description

Data-Driven Innovation (DDI) is an innovation and research programme run jointly by the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University, delivered as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, which was finalised in August 2018. Its stated aim is to help the Edinburgh city region become the data capital of Europe, by improving digital skills, applying research to industry problems, encouraging the adoption of data methods, providing safe data infrastructure and supporting data-centric start-ups. It reports annually against five target areas: talent, research, adoption, data and entrepreneurship.

The programme operates through a group of hubs and facilities: the Bayes Centre, which opened first in October 2018, the National Robotarium, the Edinburgh Futures Institute, the Usher Institute, the Easter Bush Agritech Hub and the Edinburgh International Data Facility. These connect university research capacity with industry, public sector and third sector partners across ten target sectors, among them robotics and autonomous systems, financial technology, health and social care, and the creative industries. The programme describes the National Robotarium as using artificial intelligence and robotics to make people safer, healthier and more productive, and the Bayes Centre as home to an accelerator for artificial intelligence businesses.

Arts and humanities research reaches the programme mainly through the Edinburgh Futures Institute, which it describes as drawing researchers from across the arts, humanities, social sciences, informatics, medicine and the natural sciences, and as bringing expertise in ethics, law, policy, philosophy and creativity into conversation with technical expertise. By February 2026 the programme reported that its capital building phase had concluded, the last two hubs having opened during 2025, and stated its intention to continue developing the programme.

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Currently active

Yes

Offers funding

No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.

Founding year

2018

Contact details

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Categorisation

Type

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University affiliation(s)

Heriot-Watt University
Edinburgh

University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh

Partner Infrastructures

Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI)

The Edinburgh Futures Institute challenges, creates, and makes change happen. The Institute is focused on tackling today’s increasingly complex issues by bringing people and disciplines together… read more about Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI)

Edinburgh

Additional Partnerships

Bayes Centre; National Robotarium; Usher Institute; Easter Bush Agritech Hub; Edinburgh International Data Facility; Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal