Upcoming Innovation Events
We work to maximise opportunities for companies to interact with researchers and health and care professionals – a conversation can often spark new innovative ideas.
Keep up to date and find out more about the latest innovation events from across Scotland.
THCS Shared Learning Webinar (WP10) - From Knowledge to Impact: Discover the THCS Knowledge Hub and Transferability & Implementation Framework
📅 Date and Time: Wednesday, 29th April 2026, 12:00 – 13:00
📍Location: Online
Event Info:
This THCS shared learning webinar, organised by WP10, will showcase the THCS Knowledge Hub, an online dynamic platform developed in the THCS project to facilitate the access to existing and newly generated expertise, tools, good practices and evidence supporting the transformation of health and social care systems across Europe. It will be an opportunity to learn how to navigate the platform and use its resources to support meaningful change in your context.
Specifically, the webinar will highlight the THCS Transferability and Implementation Framework, which is designed to support the transfer, adaptation, and implementation of innovative health and care solutions across Europe. Participants will gain insights into what to do and how to proceed when transferring and implementing solutions developed elsewhere, as well as how to achieve sustainable change.
Register here
MDMC Conference 2026
📅 Date and Time: Wednesday, 27th May 2026, 09:00 – 16:00
📍Location: James Watt Centre, Heriot-Watt University
Event Info:
Medical Device Manufacturing Centre is excited to announce the 5th Annual MDMC Conference will be taking place on Wednesday, 27th May 2026 at the James Watt Centre, Heriot-Watt University.
Their award-winning collaboration between Heriot-Watt University, The University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, University of Dundee and Robert Gordon University, all supported by Scottish Enterprise, brings the best of the sector together.
They’re bringing the NHS, Industry, and Academia together at Heriot-Watt University for a day of serious MedTech innovation and chat.
Why you should be there:
- Network: Connect with leaders from academics, NHS and industry.
- Innovate: Discover the latest in medical device manufacturing.
- Showcase: Dive into poster sessions featuring cutting-edge research.
Rebuilding lives after stroke: Global opportunities for research
📅 Date and Time: Monday, 11th May 2026, 13:00 – 18:00
📍Location: Usher Building, Edinburgh
Event Info:
Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability globally. With advances in acute treatments, more people are surviving a stroke. But many are left with significant disability including non-motor problems such as fatigue, mood disorders and cognitive impairment. There is an urgent need to find evidence-based solutions for the multitude of long-term problems experienced by stroke survivors, in the context of multiple long-term conditions and frailty. Professor Gillian Mead, Head of Ageing and Health at the Usher Institute, and a geriatrician and stroke physician, has championed research in ‘Life after Stroke’ and stroke recovery for many years.
In this networking event, we are bringing together researchers and clinicians with an interest in Life after Stroke. We will hear from international experts in this field, including Professor Craig Anderson and Dr Juliet Bouverie OBE, discuss research priorities and the research methodologies needed to develop life after stroke research globally. We hope that this event will inspire new research collaborations in this crucial, but under-researched field.
Although the focus of the event is on stroke, it will also be of interest to those working in other disease areas where long-term consequences are common and under-researched, and where patients often have multiple long-term conditions and frailty.
Register here
CivTech Round 11 Demo Day
📅 Date and Time: Wednesday, 13th May 2026, 09:30 – 17:00
📍Location: Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh
Event Info:
CivTech is the Scottish Government’s award‑winning innovation programme, bringing the public sector together with talented innovators to co‑create solutions that make a real difference to people’s lives and improve services across the country.
Round 11 is well underway, with twelve teams developing fresh, practical responses to Challenges announced earlier this year. Their work spans some of Scotland’s most important issues – from teacher workload and long‑term health conditions to protecting the Gaelic language, improving environmental systems, and strengthening digital inclusion.
Demo Day is your chance to see the results of their 15‑week Accelerator.
Register here
DataFest 2026
📅 Date and Time: Wednesday, 27th May 2026 & Thursday 28th May 2026
📍Location: Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh
Event Info:
DataFest 2026 returns on 27th–28th May at the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh. Tickets go on sale in October — join The Data Lab Community for exclusive early-bird access and be among the first to secure your spot at Scotland’s leading data and AI event.
Register here
DigitalScotland 2026
📅 Date and Time: Tuesday, 24th November 2026
📍Location: Edinburgh International Conference Centre
Event Info:
Digital Scotland is the annual summit for technology and policy leaders engaged in building Scotland’s future public services. In 2025 we showcased the new national Digital Strategy, designed and led by Scottish Government and the local government umbrella organisation, COSLA.
Keynote Speakers for 2025:
- Ivan Mckee, Minister for Public Finance, Scottish Government
- Joe Griffin, Permanent Secretary, Scottish Government
- Geoff Huggins, Digital Director, Scottish Government
- Ann-Marie Gallacher, Chief Information Officer, NHS
We take a deep dive on the constantly-evolving story of AI, and its implications for public services, with emerging use cases and inspiring examples of how that technology – and others – are reshaping the citizen experience. Featuring over 70 speakers, 100 exhibitors and 1,200 delegates, the conference is the biggest forum for public sector technology leaders, with case studies from across the UK, as well as partner nations, including Denmark, Estonia and Finland.
The conference tapped into the public tech zeitgeist – covering the latest from the global GovTech movement, digital ID, cloud services, payments, AI, IoT and Cybersecurity.
Digital Scotland is the meeting place where government ministers interact with technology upstarts and disruptors engaged and motivated by the goal of creating world-class digital experiences for citizens of the future. Be part of the conversation.
Learning objectives:
- Understand the strategic direction for government digital policy and programmes with a new national Digital Strategy.
- Hear how GovTech leaders from across the UK and Europe are pursuing technology-led transformation of government services.
- Experience best-in-class technology projects from an array of public services, from healthcare to social services, local government, environment and justice.
- Learn playbook approaches to tech implementation from experienced public-sector technology leaders.
- Attend industry masterclasses spanning user-centred design, data, AI, cloud, cybersecurity and IoT