Scottish Policing Academic Centre of Excellence - Sandpit Event

Wednesday 14th January 2026 10:30 - 16:30

Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus – Horizon Suite (5th Floor)

The Scottish Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (SPACE) Sandpit (14th January) is a collaborative innovation workshop designed to bring together academics, policing professionals, policymakers, and third-sector partners to shape research priorities and co-design future-focused solutions to contemporary policing challenges.

This event aims to explore the most pressing needs facing policing—such as advancing public-health approaches to prevention in priority areas, improving officer and public safety, and harnessing data and AI in policing in ethical and confidence-building ways. This may include, for example, evaluating effectiveness, enhancing implementation, encouraging innovation and leveraging data to address evolving threats e.g. online mobilisation of extremism and gender-based violence; and operational aspects of organisational well-being including potential use of data analytics, AI and technology to shape resource deployment and improve officer decision making.

This full day event will provide opportunities for those with relevant expertise to network across the key focus areas of the centre – Safety, Prevention, Analytics, Confidence and Ethics. The two key objectives for the sandpit will be:

1. To consider and refine key priorities within and across the SPACE themes; and
2. To facilitate co-development of well-formulated research directions, challenge-led project concepts, and potential pathways to impact.

The discussions will inform SPACE’s upcoming research grant call, knowledge exchange activities, and the development of evidence syntheses, and other outputs.

The SPACE Sandpit is more than a workshop—it is a catalyst for long-term transformation in policing research, policy, and practice. By bringing together a critical mass of expertise, fostering ethical and inclusive innovation, and encouraging cross-sector and disciplinary collaboration, the event plays a central role in shaping the Centre’s programme of work and ensuring that future research is timely, impactful, and grounded in the needs of policing and society.