16
de Juny
de
2016 - 04:07
Buying a book, concert tickets or a flight, doing the weekly shop at the supermarket, taking out insurance, playing a video game, doing a bank transfer... Today, almost any procedure or transaction in our daily lives can be done on the Internet. We are permanently connected, whether it be on the computer, tablet or mobile, looking things up or purchasing things that leave traces of our activities, our habits and our preferences. It is very valuable information that Catalan companies have already begun to explore, turning Catalonia into one of the places in Europe with the most companies devoted to Big Data.
According to the EU Data Landscape, the body that monitors the data economy in Europe, Catalonia tops the ranking, with 57 companies linked to Big Data. "In the digital world, all activity generates data that can be tracked, a follow-up can be done, and with this study you can extract data to improve your product or service and ensure that more people use it or pay for it. Big Data is the analysis of these huge volumes of data." This is the definition given by JordiLópez, head of Human Resources at Social Point, a leading company in breeding games and social games for Facebook and mobile devices, which is based in Barcelona.
For Social Point, as for so many other "native digital" companies, the management of data has been part of its activities since the beginning. Yet there are an increasing number of companies in "traditional" sectors, such as banking, insurance or retail, that are realising the importance of analysing and managing the data associated with their activities. And for this reason, there is a need for a new professional profile, the expert in Big Data or Data Scientists, one of the professions that, it is expected, will be in most demand in both the future as well as now.
Consuelo Castilla, president of AdQualis, and Jordi López, HR manager at Social Point. Judith Vives
A professional profile with a great future
Five years ago this profile did not exist, while today, companies are looking everywhere for such people. It is not easy to find professionals fully-prepared to do this work that requires, above all, a scientific mentality: "The profile of person dedicated to Big Data is very varied, many are self-trained, but they must above all have a very strong affinity for numbers, whether it be mathematics, physics or industrial engineering," says JordiLópez.
The president of the Human Resource consultants AdQualis, ConsueloCastilla, points to the opportunity Big Data offers to mathematicians and physicists: "Before, these profiles had trouble finding a place in the marketplace, many ended up in education, but now they are profiles in great demand, because they have brilliant minds and the capacity to do this digital analysis," she says.
Nevertheless, Castilla admits the difficulty in finding Data Scientists. "It must be remembered that there isn't anyone with even five years experience in this field," she says. At SocialPoint they stress the importance of the technical mastery these professionals have: "for us the technical part is fundamental. The difficulty is the cultural fit once the technical part is sorted out," says López. Castilla, from AdQualis, adds that apart from technical knowledge, "we also put a lot of emphasis on the skills side of things. The person will have to evolve, be capable of developing new skills, and they must have this potential," she says.
"They are in demand everywhere," continues the AdQualis president, who points to the great blossoming Barcelona is experiencing in the field of innovation and Big Data. In fact, large multinationals like Zurich, Nestlé and BBVA have announced that they will set up Big Data centres in Barcelona. It is good news for establishing the Catalan capital as a technology hub. "It is easier to attract people here if there are already top people and in Barcelona we increasingly have more of them. Talent attracts talent," says Castilla.
It is estimated that in the next two years, some 75% of companies will invest in Big Data. "It means a lot for a company to opt for Big Data, not only in terms of the technological investment, but also the human one. And it forces the whole organisation to change the way it works." It is a challenge that companies, small and large, will have to face and one that will force them to do their business structures and strategies differently than they have so far. As Consuelo Castilla says, "we are entering a very lovely stage, a genuine revolution. The revolution of Big Data will change everything."
According to the EU Data Landscape, the body that monitors the data economy in Europe, Catalonia tops the ranking, with 57 companies linked to Big Data. "In the digital world, all activity generates data that can be tracked, a follow-up can be done, and with this study you can extract data to improve your product or service and ensure that more people use it or pay for it. Big Data is the analysis of these huge volumes of data." This is the definition given by JordiLópez, head of Human Resources at Social Point, a leading company in breeding games and social games for Facebook and mobile devices, which is based in Barcelona.
For Social Point, as for so many other "native digital" companies, the management of data has been part of its activities since the beginning. Yet there are an increasing number of companies in "traditional" sectors, such as banking, insurance or retail, that are realising the importance of analysing and managing the data associated with their activities. And for this reason, there is a need for a new professional profile, the expert in Big Data or Data Scientists, one of the professions that, it is expected, will be in most demand in both the future as well as now.
Consuelo Castilla, president of AdQualis, and Jordi López, HR manager at Social Point. Judith Vives
A professional profile with a great future
Five years ago this profile did not exist, while today, companies are looking everywhere for such people. It is not easy to find professionals fully-prepared to do this work that requires, above all, a scientific mentality: "The profile of person dedicated to Big Data is very varied, many are self-trained, but they must above all have a very strong affinity for numbers, whether it be mathematics, physics or industrial engineering," says JordiLópez.
The president of the Human Resource consultants AdQualis, ConsueloCastilla, points to the opportunity Big Data offers to mathematicians and physicists: "Before, these profiles had trouble finding a place in the marketplace, many ended up in education, but now they are profiles in great demand, because they have brilliant minds and the capacity to do this digital analysis," she says.
Nevertheless, Castilla admits the difficulty in finding Data Scientists. "It must be remembered that there isn't anyone with even five years experience in this field," she says. At SocialPoint they stress the importance of the technical mastery these professionals have: "for us the technical part is fundamental. The difficulty is the cultural fit once the technical part is sorted out," says López. Castilla, from AdQualis, adds that apart from technical knowledge, "we also put a lot of emphasis on the skills side of things. The person will have to evolve, be capable of developing new skills, and they must have this potential," she says.
"They are in demand everywhere," continues the AdQualis president, who points to the great blossoming Barcelona is experiencing in the field of innovation and Big Data. In fact, large multinationals like Zurich, Nestlé and BBVA have announced that they will set up Big Data centres in Barcelona. It is good news for establishing the Catalan capital as a technology hub. "It is easier to attract people here if there are already top people and in Barcelona we increasingly have more of them. Talent attracts talent," says Castilla.
It is estimated that in the next two years, some 75% of companies will invest in Big Data. "It means a lot for a company to opt for Big Data, not only in terms of the technological investment, but also the human one. And it forces the whole organisation to change the way it works." It is a challenge that companies, small and large, will have to face and one that will force them to do their business structures and strategies differently than they have so far. As Consuelo Castilla says, "we are entering a very lovely stage, a genuine revolution. The revolution of Big Data will change everything."