Stories of impact

For this edition from ORTEC's ‘Jointly for Social Impact’ series, we sat down with our partner Force For Nature, to hear from them how the development and implementation of an app for rangers helps to protect our planet.

Every year, millions of tons of plastic enter the oceans. This pervasive pollution poses significant global environmental, economic, and health challenges. The economic damage amounts to an estimated 13 to 14 billion dollars a year. If no action is taken, plastic will increasingly impact our ecosystems, health, and economies. “It’s The Ocean Cleanup’s mission to eliminate 90% of plastics floating in the oceans by 2040,” says Arjen Tjallema, Head of Technology at The Ocean Cleanup. To reach their goal by 2040, The Ocean Cleanup focuses on two key areas: cleaning up legacy pollution and preventing future inflow.

We sat down with Amref Health Africa, a leading health organization in Africa, to hear from them how data contributes to their mission to create lasting health change in Africa.

Panel 2B, chaired by Parvathy Krishnan (CTO of ABW), centered around the impact, challenges, and success stories of the ABW Academy’s Data Science Fellowship program. This program aims to empower participants as data science practitioners within nonprofit organizations. Trainers, mentors, and program alumni contributed their valuable insights.

Panel 2A, chaired by Dick den Hertog (Science to Impact Director of ABW), focused on the role of analytics researchers in creating impact within the nonprofit sector. The panel aimed to address the challenges researchers face in translating their work into practical applications and fostering meaningful change.

Panel 1B, chaired by Robert Monné (Managing Director of ABW), shed light on the impactful role of analytics professionals in driving positive change within nonprofit organizations. The panel aimed to explore the collaborations between ABW's nonprofit and company network, highlighting success stories, lessons learned, and the added value derived from such partnerships.

The Public Infrastructure Service Access (PISA) Toolkit, designed to optimize the placement of crucial public sector infrastructures, was the focus of Panel 1A. The panel, chaired by Parvathy Krishnan (CTO of ABW) and Dick den Hertog (Science to Impact Director of ABW), brought together speakers from non-profits, researchers, and ABW industry partners who are actively involved in the design, development, and deployment of the toolkit.

The Analytics for a Better World 2023 Conference kicked off on May 24th, bringing together a vibrant community of nonprofits, researchers, and companies. With more than 100 online participants and 70 attendees at the Amsterdam Business School, the event provided an inspiring platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Dana's project during the fellowship involved developing a geospatial web map that shows the different internet access points in the Philippines. Identifying low-connectivity areas helps bridge the digital-divide by addressing network issues of connection existence and speed.

Estimating Child Wasting Burden in the Sahel Region using Ensemble Machine Learning Methods. A collaboration between Analytics for a Better World, World Food Programme and Northeastern University.

"Last year taught me the value of collaboration and hard work. It was a great reminder that when people come together and are willing to invest in something, anything is possible"