Edinburgh Futures Institute welcomed one of its first commercial tenants to the new Edinburgh Futures Institute in the capital’s historic Old Royal Infirmary in Lauriston Place.
Smart Data Foundry has moved from the nearby Bayes Centre to our state-of-the-art workspace in the A-listed building.
Smart Data Foundry’s move follows a period of sustained growth for the organisation which was founded in 2022 to unlock the power of financial data to tackle the major issues facing society. Over the past two years it has seen its workforce grow and mature and forged partnerships with clients like Sage, NatWest Group and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The data pioneer is moving into one of our purpose-built wards in the historic building which housed the city’s main hospital until 2003.
Professor Kev Dhaliwal, Interim Director of Edinburgh Futures Institute said:
“We are delighted to welcome the Smart Data Foundry. As one of the region’s Data Driven Innovation Hubs, we bring together staff, students and partners into an inspiring, collaborative and entrepreneurial environment. Co-location with our financial and public services sector hubs, alongside numerous industrial partners, researchers, and talented students, will accelerate data innovation and insights to help solve national and global challenges. We share the ambition to deliver positive social impact and build a better world using the power of data.”
The Foundry will be part of our interdisciplinary space which includes teaching facilities, co-working space with industry and organisational partners, business incubation areas, labs for innovation and prototyping, and a café.
Dame Julia Unwin, Chair of Smart Data Foundry, said:
“Edinburgh Futures Institute has an unrivalled range of facilities in the heart of Edinburgh, and this strategic relocation underscores our commitment to fostering greater collaboration, innovation and productivity in our mission to unlock the power of data for good. It’s our aim to cultivate a dynamic ecosystem where data scientists, researchers, and industry partners can collaborate seamlessly to unlock new insights and drive forward our purpose of creating positive impact across society, the economy and the environment. Our new home at the Edinburgh Futures Institute is the perfect base for this ecosystem to flourish.”
Smart Data Foundry currently delivers pioneering projects including a Cost-of-Living Dashboard for East Renfrewshire Council that uses near real-time de-identified data from NatWest Group. The dashboard integrates financial well-being indicators with contextual information, helping the council to understand better the challenges citizens face and therefore how this might impact on future policy interventions.
Other projects include the launch of the ground-breaking Income Volatility Dashboard with Joseph Rowntree Foundation. This innovative platform provides a research and policy platform with a comprehensive view of income volatility and insecurity on consumers throughout the United Kingdom.
