ADS, VU & Philips: Big Data in Amsterdam

The ‘Big Data Amsterdam’ series reports on the Amsterdam Data Science ecosystem where companies and knowledge institutions in Amsterdam collaborate in the area of Big Data.

Aart van Halteren is principal scientist at Philips Research, Eindhoven and Professor of Health Behaviour Informatics, VU. Mark Hoogendoorn is Professor of Artificial Intelligence, VU. The Philips and VU collaboration is centred on the use of Big Data in Healthcare.

Hoogendoorn: “Big Data in Healthcare can be used to encourage people to live healthier and in disease prevention. Take your mobile phone, packed with sensors, which can provide a wealth of information on the life and health of a person using artificial intelligence techniques.”

Van Halteren: “Big Data is a term you will hear a lot. What many companies do with it is really just statistics … What is much more important is what it does to people. At Philips Research we not only look at healthy consumers but also at people with chronic conditions. There is much to accomplish by changing behavior. Many chronic diseases are caused by unhealthy lifestyles, but that lifestyle cannot be changed easily. Through the use of big data, you not only get insight, but you can also optimally support people to improve their health. Millions of people are now monitored in the hospital using Philips technology. Previously, these patients were bombarded with very long questionnaires. With today’s technology we can ask short questions via smartphone, precisely at times when it matters.”

Hoogendoorn: ‘Through Amsterdam Data Science we received funding to include the Computational Intelligence Group, alongside Guszti Eiben, Evert Haasdijk. We are primarily engaged in Machine Learning, Philips more with the people themselves. The collaboration has added value for both sides.

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