Scots election candidates encouraged to support data pledge

Candidates in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament elections are being encouraged to support an initiative billed as helping to foster sustainable growth in the digital economy.

The Data & Marketing Association (DMA) is calling on candidates to take the #DemocratiseDataPledge, prior to the elections on May 6 – a move it says will demonstrate their support for the objectives set out by its new Democratise Data Manifesto.

The DMA said the new parliament “will have an opportunity to focus recovery efforts on [the nation’s] budding data economy, to fully realise Scotland’s collective ambition of becoming the ‘data capital of Europe’”.

Against this backdrop, DMA Scotland has created the manifesto with seven key objectives that it says will support the data and marketing industry, help to promote sustainable growth in the digital economy, and “ensure that all stakeholders are working towards a common goal”.

The DMA says Scotland's new parliament will have an opportunity to focus recovery efforts on the nation’s budding data economy. Picture: Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images.

The goals were identified using insights gained through the Value of Data campaign’s recent Democratising Scotland’s Data Talent whitepaper, for example, and include neurodiversifying the workforce, and building on Scotland’s ethical use of data and artificial intelligence (AI).

DMA MD Rachel Aldighieri said: “With the newly launched National AI Strategy for Scotland and the Data-Driven Innovation programme, the Scottish government has taken important steps to securing Scotland’s future as a data and digital powerhouse.

"To build on this work and realise the full potential of these investments, Scotland needs structured action plans across both the public and private sectors that work towards common goals with key industry stakeholders. Our new manifesto outlines key areas that will help to support sustainable growth in the digital sector.”

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