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.
Regulatory Science and Innovation Summit 2026
📅 Date and Time: Wednesday, 18th June 2026, 10:00 – 16:00
📍Location: Church House Westminster
Event Info:
This flagship event brings together policymakers, regulators, funders, and leaders from the Regulatory Science and Innovation Networks (RSINs) and the Centres of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation (CERSIs). It will explore how regulatory science can better generate and translate evidence into smarter, more agile regulation across health and life sciences.
This programme, led by Innovate UK, enables consortia of businesses, academics and other organisations to build networks of expertise in regulatory science and innovation across emerging technology sectors throughout the UK. These networks are developing regulatory science based tools that underpin smarter, more adaptable regulation for new products, services and treatments.
The Summit will share insight from the first wave of pilot activity, highlight what has been learned, and examine how evidence is shaping future regulatory approaches. It marks an important moment as the UK moves towards the next phase of support for regulatory science.
Register here
Unlocking productivity in legacy systems: a safe path to AI adoption
📅 Date and Time: Tuesday, 23rd June 2026, 13:00
📍Location: Online
Event Info:
Legacy systems continue to limit productivity, slow down innovation, and make it harder to realise the promise of AI.
In this webinar on Tuesday, 23rd June, Fiz Yazdi, Managing Director and William Semple, Consulting Manager, Sopra Steria Next explore how senior leaders can modernise safely within live, complex service environments, without compromising trust, performance, or continuity. Drawing on lessons from their extensive work on modernising large-scale estates, we’ll look at what actually works and how it can be achieved, including:
- How to move beyond pilots,
- Manage risk in-flight; and
- Build the foundations for operational AI.
Expect practical insights on unlocking value from legacy, scaling innovation responsibly, and delivering measurable outcomes in real-world public services.
Register here
Leading Well with Copilot: Confidence, Capability and Control
📅 Date and Time: Wednesday, 1st July 2026
📍Location: Online
Event Info:
AI tools like Copilot are becoming part of everyday working life but using them well requires more than just access to technology.
This session cuts through the hype to explore what Copilot can genuinely support, where leaders still need to apply judgement, and how to adopt AI in a safe, ethical, and people‑first way. Designed for leaders responsible for digital transformation, service improvement and workforce development, this webinar focuses on practical leadership decisions, not technical detail.
In this session, we will explore:
- What Copilot is, and isn’t
- Where Copilot can add value for leaders
- How leaders can support responsible, ethical, and inclusive use
- Why data quality, governance and human oversight still matter
- Real-life use cases
- How to move teams from curiosity to confident, everyday use
Developing an Organisational AI Strategy in Practice
📅 Date and Time: Tuesday, 21st July 2026, 13:00 – 14:00
📍Location: Online
Event Info:
As organisations increasingly explore artificial intelligence (AI), many are asking the same question: How do we move from interest and experimentation to a clear, safe, and deliverable strategy?
In this session, Scott Jaffray Director of Digital, NHS Forth Valley will explore how his organisation is approaching this challenge, sharing a structured, real-world approach to developing an AI strategy that is practical, governed, and aligned to organisational priorities. What this session will explore
- How AI can be structured across different areas, including generative AI, productivity tools, and machine learning
- The importance of involving a wide range of stakeholders – from clinical and diagnostic teams to operational, finance, and digital colleagues
- Why governance, regulation, and business case development must be built in from the outset
- How to develop a clear roadmap that balances innovation with responsibility
Public Sector Digital Leadership Exchange
📅 Date and Time: Wednesday, 2nd September 2026, 09:00 – 16:15
📍Location: Informatics Forum, Edinburgh
Event Info:
This event will focus on the move from strategy and into delivery, by focusing on real‑world case studies rather than theory. Through honest examples of what has worked, what hasn’t and why, Holyrood’s Digital Leadership Exchange will create a space for organisations to turn ambition into measurable impact for citizens and public services across Scotland.
Event Highlights
- See what works: Learn from proven examples of digital programmes improving outcomes across Scotland.
- Move from plan to execution: Discover how organisations are progressing from pilots to sustainable delivery.
- Understand the full context: Gain a clear view of the trade-offs, constraints, and decisions behind delivery, with a focus on evaluating impact and ROI.
- Connect with peers: Exchange perspectives with leaders managing similar challenges.
- Focus on what matters: Leave with practical approaches you can apply in your own organisation – without unnecessary complexity.
Who Should Attend?
This event is designed for public sector professionals involved in leading digital transformations, IT infrastructure projects, data management, AI or Cloud. Whether you’re a CIO, policy advisor, or technology leader, this summit offers crucial insights and connections to help you drive innovation in your organisation.
Register here
SAVE THE DATE: Technology Scotland Annual Dinner & Awards 2026
📅 Date and Time: Thursday, 12th November 2026, 18:00 – 23:00
📍Location: Grand Central Hotel, 99 Gordon Street, Glasgow
Event Info:
Save the date for the The Technology Scotland Annual Dinner. More info coming soon!
Scotland's Health Awards 2026
📅 Date and Time: Thursday, 12th November 2026, 18:30 – 23:00
📍Location: Edinburgh Corn Exchange, Edinburgh
Event Info:
The Scotsman are delighted to host the 2026 Scotland’s Health Awards in partnership with NHS Scotland and The Scottish Government for a third year.
Scotland’s Health Awards celebrate the extraordinary achievements of those individuals and teams who go above and beyond to deliver compassionate, high quality health and social care to the people of Scotland.
These awards recognise the contribution of frontline health and social care workers but also celebrate those who work so hard behind the scenes in support roles to ensure we have the kind of health and care services that are vital in achieving the highest quality of care.
Register here
Save the date - Scottish Public Health Conference
📅 Date and Time: Tuesday, 24th November 2026
📍Location: Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
Event Info:
The second Scottish Public Health Conference will take place on Tuesday, 24th November 2026 at the Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
This year’s conference will bring together leaders, practitioners and partners from across Scotland and beyond to tackle one of our biggest collective challenges: closing the gap between what we know works and what is implemented.
This conference is for everyone working in and alongside public health, as well as colleagues from government, local government, emergency services, academia, the third sector and anyone with an interest in population health.
Whether you are leading change, supporting delivery or influencing from any part of the system, this is an opportunity to reconnect with a shared vision and to be reminded that change is possible – and that together, we can make it happen.
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
SAVE THE DATE: Digital Health & Care Fest 2026
📅 Date and Time: Wednesday, 9th December 2026
📍Location: Technology & Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
Event Info:
Following on from the success of Digifest 2025, organised by Futurescot and Scotland’s Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre and its collaborative partners, DigiFest 2026 will be the anchor event for the Scottish digital health and care ecosystem. We are pleased to announce this year’s conference will again be held at the Technology & Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.