Barcelona, an epicentre thanks to the influence of its port, airport and conurbation, holds a place of prominence in the world stage of large investments: Mercadona, Amazon, Seat… Companies in which Big Data plays an increasingly significant logistical role. Such was the topic of discussion at the session organised as part of the Master’s Degree in Big Data Science on 3 May.
Participants included Camilo Defoin, managing director and co-founder of the start-up Beliberry; Adolfo Romagosa, industrial engineer and former manager of Port 2000, the Port of Barcelona’s managing body; and Ignasi Sayo, managing director and shareholder at Inprous. Three speakers for a hall replete with students and professionals, who discussed the changing role of Big Data in today’s logistics.
Defoin, in one of his interventions, argued that, thanks to Big Data, “we can now talk about the automation of decisions. And of quality improvement: the more data I have, the better my decision”, he concluded.
The entrepreneur also noted that, “a few years ago, there were only a handful companies capable of managing this data (Google, Amazon, etc.), but we’re now seeing small enterprises becoming increasingly capable of providing the same level of quality as large companies”, thanks to the implementation and use of platforms.
Sayol explained that more and more customers are asking for “tailored products, cost efficiency and fast turnaround”. In the latter case, it is important to know the customer in order to anticipate requests. “Obviously, the large players set the trends. But there’s still a niche for anyone looking to use technology to develop a business”.
Lastly, Romagosa eluded to his experience at the Port of Barcelona and coincided with the other two guests in pointing out that, though small and medium-sized enterprises also have access to technology, what worries him is that “all this technology is transforming society”. A reflection that led the speakers into a discussion on urban pollution, gentrification and the need to push for a sustainable economy and a reduction in CO2 emissions.
