This week’s FD Article: Frans Feldberg (VU) and Martin Smit (Sandd) on their Big Data Collaboration

In this week’s edition of Big Data in Amsterdam, FD journalist Job Woudt talks to Amsterdam Data Science (ADS) Researcher Frans Feldberg (VU), and Martin Smit (Sandd) on their Big Data Collaboration.

Frans Feldberg, Professor of Data-Driven Business Innovation at the VU, and co-founder and director of the Amsterdam Center of Business Analytics (ACBA). ABCA is a multidisciplinary research institute of the VU, and Amsterdam Data Science (ADS) partner. For nearly four years they have collaborated with postal and parcel delivery Sandd, a collaboration initiated through Martin Smit, responsible for innovation at the company.

Sandd fund a PhD, doing research at the company. Central to the cooperation is “data driven business innovation”. Through this collaboration, Sandd has access to the infrastructure of students and the other facilities of the university. Currently, Industry is flocking in search of applicable knowledge about Big Data.

Feldberg: “That’s right … Companies want to know what Big Data is and what it will mean in the future… You also notice that for organizations there is great value in discovering the data … using data to improve processes in the organization. Even better is to use big data to innovate with products and services, to develop, using data analytics and new products and services.

With Sandd … There was a instant click. It is a company that is changing the business model, by reducing physical mail. They see that innovation is crucial to anticipate the future. ”

Smit: ‘The postal market is shrinking. As an organization, we see the value in the data we generate … From this we can develop new services. ”

On working with the VU: “… we feel the distance between science and business should be less … you see many students launching their own start-up … we have adapted our organization to collaborate with innovative young companies and start-ups … it is very good for us as a company to be able to have direct access to the scientific infrastructure … students to do assignments in our company …

Feldberg: “… One of the goals of our research with a company like Sandd is to create insights and theories that are so innovative that they are published in the ‘top journals’ … to get new insights and knowledge through cooperation … How to create value with Big Data … We also have a post-graduate training in business analytics / data science. You see a lot of interest among computer scientists to learn more about the managerial and mathematical side…

Read the full article HERE