Very large data sets, called big data, are playing an increasing role in more and more fields, from climate, healthcare and finance to astronomy, particle physics and energy. Big data presents a challenge on many fronts: how do we collect the data, who collects the data, how do we store it, how do we make it accessible, how do we extract all possible relevant information from it, how do we protect it, and what changes does it bring? Data files in themselves are not insightful. The data must be visualised and 'translated' into objects, stories, games or graphs that we can understand and use. With the rise of big data, we need to organise our knowledge differently, and learn to tell stories anew and differently. This question focuses on working with big data, on its general applications, and finally on the impact of big data on our society and economy. Privacy and information freedom are important aspects here.
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Big data research connects many types of scientific questions. The key to realising applications lies in algorithms. These mathematical operations make it possible to quickly search, organise, process and use data, mostly online and in real time. Efficiency, quality, validation and reliability are important aspects here. Mathematics and computer science go hand in hand to tackle the big questions surrounding algorithms. Think of distributed/streaming technologies. Data analysis and visualisation are spearheads of current and future ICT research. Keywords here include business intelligence, data mining, machine learning, artificial intelligence, visualisation, visual analytics, and the integration of data science and geo-information. This question also touches on research into privacy, transparency and information freedom, and whether big data is changing our understanding of the world in general. There is a broad user community in the Netherlands in various domains where big data is generated. There is also an e-infrastructure available that enables big data research. Given the importance of big data for almost all sectors of the Dutch economy, there are many starting points for business, especially SMEs, to realise innovations together with knowledge institutions.
