Highlights from My Data Guest: Season 2

The curtains recently fell on season 2 of My Data Guest, the series of monthly interviews with data professionals in the KNIME community. 

As we look back on the second season, we’re grateful for the support we've received from our guests and viewers. From GIS specialists to researchers, from accountants to food scientists, season 2 was exceptionally rich in insightful data stories, exciting conversations around open source technologies, and diverse applications of KNIME Software.

This article highlights some of the most significant insights of this season from research and academia, expert opinions from business, to a particularly inspiring conversation with the non-profit ANT organization in Italy.

You can browse or catch up on any of the episodes you missed in the My Data Guest - Season 2 playlist, on KNIMETV.

In February, Wendy Guan, Executive Director at Harvard University’s Center for Geographic Analysis, joined us to talk about why her research into geographic information systems is so relevant today, how her team's work is impacting geospatial technology, research, and teaching worldwide, and how the Geospatial Analytics extension for KNIME that her team develop makes it easier for non-technical users to work with geospatial data. Read the interview write-up here.

When we were not using KNIME, we would be either writing many lines of code or doing work with a licensed software, often both. Pre-processing, transforming and visualizing the data would require a lot of time, and it would be very challenging to share the whole pipeline with others. KNIME Analytics Platform granted us the flexibility and freedom we needed. Tasks become simpler: pick the right data source, pick the right nodes, assemble them into a workflow, tweak the exposed parameters and run it. It makes it easier for individuals without access to a software license or prior knowledge of GIS to get started. Visual workflows are easier to understand and can be swiftly shared with colleagues, enabling fast collaboration and replicability of the analysis.

Wendy Guan, Executive Director at Harvard University's Center for Geographic Analysis, US

Accurate and informative geospatial maps are not the only applications researchers use KNIME for. Detecting vine lines in aerial images using machine learning is a research project developed by Jérôme Treboux, at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. His solution uses machine learning to detect vine lines more accurately than classical methods. With this information, precision flight plans for drones to spray pesticides can be created automatically, significantly reducing ecological impact. Read the interview write-up here.

The idea is to use a drone, which is flying over vineyards to collect aerial images, and rely on machine learning to detect each line. I defined and trained a neural network directly in KNIME Analytics Platform, and experimented with different network configurations to evaluate how the performance changed. I liked working with KNIME because I could see the results of each data operation and the evolution of my project straight away.

Jérôme Treboux, PhD student of Computer Science, University of Fribourg, Switzerland

In recent years, the KNIME Educators Alliance has increasingly fostered new and engaging ways to teach data science in schools and universities. In line with this, the Gamification Kit, established by the KNIME Educators Alliance, introduces gamification elements in data literacy curricula via challenges, learnathons or hackathons. Francisco Villarroel, Assistant Professor of Marketing, was the first educator to join the gamification program and successfully run a student challenge about data analytics in the creative industries. Read the interview write-up here.

I have always liked applied learning and innovative ways of teaching that push students to collaborate and think outside of the box. Driven by those motivations, I started exploring the idea of introducing elements of gamification in my course. The long-lasting cooperation between my research group and KNIME gave me the extra push to embark on this new adventure. The hard work was rewarded by fantastic outcomes. The students had a lot of fun, developed very creative solutions, and showed ingenuity and deep commitment.

Francisco Villarroel, Assistant Professor of Marketing at LUISS Guido Carli University, Italy

Besides university and research centers, organizations across the globe use KNIME to make sense of data. From accounting departments and agri food businesses to consulting firms in cheminformatics and genomics, the widespread adoption of KNIME Software across various industries highlights its adaptability and utility in diverse business settings.

One interesting example comes from Pedro Medina, Food Analytics Expert, who helps food manufacturers leverage their data for maximum impact by blending data sources, ensuring data quality and building predictive models. Read the full interview here.

We have just completed a demand forecasting project for a food manufacturer. Demand forecasting for food is crucial because more often than not, food is perishable. Initially, we transitioned the manufacturer onto KNIME Analytics Platform with simple workflows on the desktop. As the sophistication grew over time, it made sense to adopt KNIME Business Hub in order to automate the analyses and workflows. We eventually converted that demand forecasting into an app on KNIME Business Hub where we were able to connect to the production system, measure their food production daily and predict what they are likely to produce next week, month or year. In the data app, you are able to click through, use slider bars and check what-if scenarios on the fly. These features are incredibly powerful for our clients.

Pedro Molina, Food Analytics Expert and Founder of Haystack Data Solutions, US

Digital transformation and automation are hot topics for many businesses that wish to stay relevant and maximize their impact. Accountants work in one of the most highly regulated sectors, where transitioning from spreadsheets to automated workflow may feel a bit scary. Ali Igram, Certified Public Accountant and Finance Transformation Manager, is committed to streamline the transition, helping fellow accountants see the potential of adopting next-gen tools. Read the full interview here.

One of the greatest opportunities for low-code automation in the accounting world is the automation of audit procedures. You can use KNIME to set up the audit by creating lead sheets from the trial balance and save a ton of time. Instead of processing the files manually, you standardize that work to be a one-time effort. You can even mine texts with KNIME’s advanced document and image processing capabilities. In that sense, KNIME offers the opportunity to develop an automation-first mentality and do a switch of paradigm, pretty much in the same way we did when we went from paper ledgers to spreadsheets. The tool provides some comfort that future ways of working are actually less risky, with lower fire drills and error.

Ali Igram, Certified Public Accountant and Finance Transformation Manager at Lineage Logistics, US

On the opposite side of the spectrum, pharmaceutical companies and the healthcare industry are at the forefront of innovation and experimentation. They often rely on the help of specialized analytics companies, who focus on research, training and consulting, and help them to remain at cutting-edge of science. We interviewed cheminformaticians from PIKAïROS. Part of their work is to train people to apply data science techniques in the field of life sciences. In the interview they explained the advantages of teaching data science with a visual analytics tool. Read the full interview here.

We specialize in life sciences. We use KNIME to upskill people in companies, offering training from introductory to advanced about data science applied to life science. We also offer consulting services, where we help clients solve specific problems. KNIME Software makes our work faster, more accurate and agile. What we (and our clients) like the most is being able to see the results at the end of each node. That really helps with collaboration, for it’s a simple way to see what is wrong, what the results were and how they can be improved.

Christophe Molina, Cheminformatician and CEO at PIKAÏROS, France

It is a breath of fresh air, when you find data science solutions that help people increase their quality of life. In this interview, we met ANT, a non-profit association based in Italy, which has been providing free home care assistance for terminally-ill cancer patients for 45 years. This involves medical care, administration of palliative cures, pain therapy, psychological support to families, and whatever can help cancer patients and their families get through such a painful and emotionally-loaded period of their lives. Rita Ostan and Alberto Montanari explained how technology can be applied to a very human dimension, conferring dignity to every phase of disease progression. Read the full interview here.

We’re working to optimize the planning and delivery of ad-hoc home care services, which can be personalized to meet the diverse needs of this fragile and complex population. We used KNIME Analytics Platform to analyze data of about 10,000 advanced cancer patients assisted through our program between 2020 and 2021. We were able to outline disease trajectories and build predictive models for assistance duration, assistance intensity and pain therapy trend. Our wish is to keep leveraging KNIME to facilitate treatment planning, optimize resource allocation, and maximize the impact of home care for patients and their families. The love and appreciation that we get back encourages us to continue our work and mission.

Rita Ostan and Alberto Montanari, ANT National Tumor Association, Italy

On March 8, on International Women’s Day, the spotlight could only belong to five high profile women working in data science and in the tech industry. They talked about their STEM backgrounds, challenges they faced as women in the industry, sources of motivation, and the importance of role models in their professional careers. Read the full interview here.

Although progress is being made in our conversations and communities, women still aren’t always the first to be recognized. With our work, we are setting an example for other women that there is space for them, their knowledge is appreciated, and we want them to be here. It is a continuous process where we create avenues for women to feel confident in sharing their work. When I picture my interaction with the KNIME community, I know I will get positive feedback. In these ecosystems, we can express ourselves in spaces where we are validated, regardless of our backgrounds and struggles.

Maryam Olaniyan, Business Intelligence Analyst at Stella McCartney, UK

Season 3 started off with a bang, featuring Alneeda and Brandon San, winners of the digital healthcare hackathon with KNIME at VCU School of Pharmacy, US. They talked about their experience in the hackathon, discussed the opioid epidemic in the United States, and delved into their Opioid Dosage Calculator: the  KNIME data app they developed to safely calculate Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME) in alignment with CDC guidelines Watch the interview on KNIME TV.

Join the next My Data Guest interview on October 30 where we'll be talking to Chenny S, Director of Product Management & Strategy, Government solutions and Data products at Cognizant. He is an expert data scientist who works in the area of health insurance. We’ll learn how he uses KNIME to acquire, transform, and visualize data for health insurance businesses to consume. Find more details on the My Data Guest LinkedIn page.