JLR celebrated its second DataFest at the company’s headquarters in Gaydon, UK, on October 23 and 24. Following on from the success of its inaugural iteration in 2023, the landmark Data and AI event showcased the importance of data through cross‑functional sessions to explore how data is used across the enterprise, the values it holds and how it will unlock JLR’s vision of the future.
Streamed to 40,000 colleagues worldwide, ahead of its Gaydon finale, DataFest toured JLR’s Manchester, Halewood and Solihull UK sites, alongside Shannon, Ireland, plus a Share Fair at Gaydon featuring 39 vendors including NVIDIA, Google, Salesforce, Jaguar TCS Racing, Microsoft, AWS, Tata Communications and Tata Technologies.
Opening the event, Tony Battle, CIO at JLR, and Chrissie Kemp, CDAO at JLR, were joined by guest speakers Anthony Hills from NVIDIA and John Abel from Google. NVIDIA insights included how they are democratising and demystifying Generative AI through helping standardise the complicated deployment of AI models, and showcasing NVIDIA NIM Agent Blueprints AI use cases. Agent Blueprints can be digital human forms that use pre‑trained reference data workflow AI, and could provide customer service support, give interior design advice and even be brand ambassadors of the future.
Google’s John Abel provided an insight into the world of AI including how to understand AI and the difference between AI and GenAI. Traditional AI focuses on understanding historical data and making accurate predictions, Generative AI learns from massive amounts of data to create new content, while Agentic AI can autonomously strategise on how to execute a task without human intervention.
DataFest is about engaging, collaborating, sharing, learning and developing. JLR is no different to any other organisation: we have mountains of data and an urgency to use it. We need to enable our business areas with quality data in a timely manner to deliver value‑adding insights. Consequentially, we have a huge gathering of world‑leading technology companies and experts who are here to share and impart knowledge to help JLR learn and grow.
When I came here two‑and‑a‑half years ago, it was to help drive a profound digital transformation underpinned by data to enable JLR to accelerate. DataFest epitomises that. It is everything that JLR aspires to be; ambitious transformation via data, in partnership with others, with a necessity to demonstrate customer love.
Tony Battle
Chief Digital Information Officer, JLR
Ian Jones, CEO of Goonhilly Earth Station, revealed the similarities between the space and automotive industries, both of which are rapidly growing and changing. He discussed how moving from geostationary satellites to LEO (low earth orbit) constellations, are comparable to the automotive industry’s transformation from historically diesel and petrol engines to adopting an electric future, and how software‑defined satellites, are similar to software‑defined vehicles.
He also shared how satellites are impacting the automotive industry, for example how GPS uses medium earth satellites and most in‑car communication works through local cell (telecommunications) towers. In the future, vehicles will communicate directly through spacecrafts and satellites, and what the two industries can learn from each other, citing the need to change to stay ahead of trends and be leaders in their respective fields, while Ed Parsons, Google’s Geographer and EMEA Open Data Lead, delved into the world of cartography, what it means and its impact on daily lives and society.
JLR’s Enterprise Data Architecture team shared how data will be used to deliver clarity across the enterprise by maturing its capability model and improving the Enterprise Operating Model, and the Attract and Retain Value Creation Stream discussed how data is helping JLR to elevate modern luxury experiences for its clients.
Day one concluded with a panel session featuring special guest Helen Graham, Associate General Counsel on Digital Tech and Privacy at Shell, who revealed how organisations can establish and embed their own set of ethics.
It’s been wonderful to see our second DataFest come to life at JLR with so much excitement and passion. There’s been a real electric buzz across our site as we’ve explored the transformational potential of AI whilst underlining the equal significance of quality data, ethics and risks.
Chrissie Kemp
Chief Data and AI Officer, JLR
On day two, the focus shifted to JLR’s direct impact on people and products. Commencing with the Create Products & Services team, employees learned how JLR’s broad use of data contributes to the design and engineering of customer‑facing digital products that enhance the quality and performance of the company’s portfolio of luxury vehicles.
Corporate Excellence showcased how data is being used to deliver value and explored how data, automation and AI could be used to enhance employee experience at JLR. And the Industrial Operations team discussed how JLR’s unique structure enables the enterprise to use more than just data and technology to deliver customer love in its digital solutions.
The hugely popular event closed with a dynamic discussion with representatives from JLR’s employee networks on how data can accelerate their mission; guest speaker Bastien Albertus, CDO at SCOR delivered a talk on the concept of a „data social contract“ as the foundation to accelerate AI within organisations; and the winners of the Data & AI awards were revealed.
