Highlights from the successful first EIDF Town Hall meeting

On May 5, 2026, we hosted the inaugural EIDF Town Hall meeting. The turnout was impressive, with numerous attendees participating both in person and online, which significantly enriched discussions on innovative research across various disciplines. This hybrid event created an engaging platform that welcomed a diverse group of participants, including current and past users, as well as prospective users from academia, the public sector, and industry.

In this blog post, we’re excited to share some of the day’s highlights and resources. Whether you're revisiting the event or catching up, here’s what you missed:

Event recap: A day of insightful discourses

1. Insightful updates

Professor Jano van Hemert, the Director of Data Service at EPCC, detailed the strategic expansions planned for EIDF. Highlights included significant enhancements in GPU resources, advanced storage solutions, and sustainability initiatives to minimise the environmental impact of data-intensive research.

2. Protecting intellectual property in the age of AI

Bence Szilágyi from Garandor provided an enlightening overview of innovative efforts to mitigate intellectual property risks in artificial intelligence. Through watermarking and content filtering techniques, Garandor is setting benchmarks in securing the authenticity of AI-generated content.

3. Digital transformation of historical archives

Dr. Alan Williams showcased how the National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP) leverages EIDF’s robust capabilities to digitise historic aerial photographs. This initiative is making once-inaccessible data broadly available and searchable, revolutionising historical research.

4. Pioneering advances in genomic medicine

Dr. Jing Su discussed the groundbreaking integration of bioinformatics with NHS healthcare facilitated through powerful computational resources provided by EPCC. This collaboration has bolstered the analysis of genomic data, delivering faster and more precise diagnoses.

Engage with EIDF

Magdalena Drafi-McHugh gave an exhaustive overview of the extensive services and collaborative opportunities at EIDF. Highlighting our commitment to supporting academia and industry, she invited all to engage with our state-of-the-art computational tools tailored for expansive and complex computational tasks.

EIDF is dedicated to advancing global collaboration and innovation. We are more than just a facility; we are a community where theoretical insights transform into practical impacts.

Future engagements and how to stay connected

Do not miss out on future interactions and breakthroughs! Join our events and become an integral part of our transforming community.

Stay updated with our latest developments:

For a deeper understanding of our resources, visit our Documentation.

Let’s innovate together

This Town Hall was just the beginning. We are enthusiastic about the collaborative projects and innovative research on the horizon. Let’s continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible with data-driven research.

For inquiries, collaborations, or more information, reach out to us at eidf@epcc.ed.ac.uk.

About EIDF (Edinburgh International Data Facility)

World-class private research cloud infrastructure to facilitate data science research, R&D needs, and innovation. EIDF is used by private businesses, the public sector and academia and provides tailored-made solutions, security, predictable costing, accelerated outcomes, scalable resources, and expert support. For more details, get in touch with us: eidf@epcc.ed.ac.uk. To find out more about our compute & storage, head to: https://docs.eidf.ac.uk/storage/overview/