First global non-profit Centre of Excellence in Advanced Analytics launches collaborative community focused on solving real world problems

Dublin, Ireland: 5 July 2010 – The Analytics Institute today announced the official launch of the Institute and its first pilot programme between Irish government departments and University College Dublin. Founder members of the Analytics Institute include the Revenue Commissioners, the Central Statistics Office, SAS Ireland and three universities; University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and Queen’s University Belfast.
 
Kevin Magee, CEO, Analytics Institute explains “Our launch is well timed both globally and regionally here in Ireland. Data and Analytics are strong growth areas with massive potential in both job creation and education.  Ireland is already well known as an innovation centre and has an established technology industry.  The Analytics Institute is perfectly based to forge strong bonds among industry, universities, public sector bodies and professionals to create an analytics eco-system here, with far-reaching impact”.

“What makes the Analytics Institute different is we are not just another representative body or a commercial institution or research body. We have the ability to engage and tackle problems, for both public and private sector and create lasting public value by applying Advanced Analytics to some of the most complex situations”, Magee adds.

“Advanced Analytics will provide immense benefit to the organisation projects AI is currently working on.  We know that using Analytics can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of any organisation but we also need to see the analytics community come together – that’s where the real strength lies – in our ability to craft stronger, better resolutions and together channel our research and knowledge to create lasting value and solve complex analytical problems”, Magee believes.

The Analytics Institute intern pilot programme, pairing academic ability with real life challenges, is a good example of the type of collaboration the Analytics Institute is working towards.  The intern programme between University College Dublin, Smurfit Business School and the Irish Revenue Commissioners and Central Statistics Office is now underway, with the possibility of similar intern programmes being rolled out between other universities and other government facilities.

John Farrelly, representing SAS Ireland as Chairperson of the Analytics Institute, is keen to see other industry members join its ranks and contribute to something that has a real chance of creating lasting value.  “The Analytics Institute has come about in recognition of the frustration many companies feel as they struggle to adopt Analytics into their organisation – and finally with the establishment of AI we have a way to integrate their needs and allay their concerns”.