Institute for Big Data Analytics at Dalhousie University
Big data is not a single breakthrough invention, but rather a coming together and maturing of several technologies: huge, inexpensive data harvesting tools and databases, efficient, fast data analytics and data mining algorithms, the proliferation of user-friendly data visualization methods and the availability of affordable, massive and non-proprietary computing. Using these technologies in a knowledgeable way allows us to turn the masses of data that are created daily by businesses and government into an important asset that will result in better, more informed decisions. This could lead, for an example, to intelligent, personalized electric power pricing for consumers, to optimized port traffic management or to the discovery of interesting patterns of migrations in marine life.
The Institute for Big Data Analytics (Big Data @ Dal) acts as a catalyst and a container in which a number of Dalhousie researchers and internationally renowned experts in all of the above areas can work together on Big Data.
The Institute has three main goals. Firstly, we want to become an international hub of excellence in big data research - a place to which scientists will come to work on interesting problems, but also in search of interesting, real-life applications. Our second goal is to make the Institute very relevant to local industries in Nova Scotia, and in Canada. To achieve this goal, we want to focus - for example - on becoming a world leader in the analytics of marine data and all aspects relating to marine biology, fisheries and shipping. Thirdly, we will develop a focused and advanced training program that covers all aspects of big data, preparing our next generation of researchers and practitioners for this important field of study.
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