When the curious minds of the global Data & Analytics community converged at the 2023 SAS Hackathon, we stepped up to the plate with not one, but two highly impactful teams. This year was a testament to the power of curiosity and the potential of diverse minds collaborating to solve complex problems. Leveraging the power of tech, our teams took on this challenge, transforming abstract concepts into tangible solutions for a greener, more sustainable future.
From an AI-driven energy optimization system to a personalized recommendation engine for sustainable lifestyles, our teams demonstrated the limitless potential of data analytics when channeled through innovation and commitment to a greater cause. Let’s dive into the details of these projects presented at the Hackathon and how they reflect our commitment to putting technology at the service of sustainable solutions.
The 2023 SAS Hackathon: A Global Confluence of Curious Minds
The SAS Hackathon is a global event that brings together data enthusiasts from different regions, backgrounds, and skill levels – leveraging the strength of diverse teams to build impactful solutions. The goal is to invent something new, something that could change our daily lives, the way we do business, or approach humanitarian causes. The event is a testament to the belief that when curious minds collaborate, the world wins.
Given the current context, the 2023 edition of the SAS Hackathon was particularly focused on sustainability and responsible innovation. Participants were challenged to develop solutions that not only drive business growth but also contribute to a greener and more sustainable future. This theme aligns perfectly with the Hackathon’s core values of curiosity, passion, authenticity, and accountability, and its commitment to diversity, inclusion, and ethical technology.
This year, we doubled our impact with two teams!
This year marked the fourth consecutive participation of Positive Thinking Company in the SAS Hackathon. We have consistently demonstrated our commitment to leveraging data and analytics to drive sustainable solutions.
For the first time, we participated with not just one, but two teams this year. Both teams worked on unique projects centered around the theme of sustainability, reflecting our commitment to creating solutions that not only drive business growth but also contribute to a greener and more sustainable future. Let’s dive in!
Team 1: AI-driven Energy Optimization by Combining the SAS IoT Solutions and Reinforcement Learning
As a matter of fact, companies around the world are responsible for the majority of energy consumption, and thus for the associated impact on our planet. And the manufacturing industry makes no exception, consuming 54% of global energy alone. But as awareness grows, the sector is investing in more sustainable solutions and a more responsible approach to energy consumption.
Given this context, our first team embarked on a project aimed at significantly improving the brick production process, making it more energy-efficient and sustainable. In collaboration with a leading brick producer, we developed an AI-driven energy optimization solution that combines SAS IoT solutions and reinforcement learning.
The solution leverages IoT technologies to extract valuable insights from machine data, enabling us to balance energy consumption, product quality, and delivery timelines effectively. The heart of our solution is a dynamic dashboard that provides real-time data and cost savings, offering deep insights into plant operations. This tool empowers manufacturers to make data-driven, sustainable, and energy-efficient decisions. Also, the integration of OpenAI frameworks, for the use of reinforcement learning, demonstrates SAS’ ability to integrate the latest open-source developments into its platform.
We want to congratulate our team for their efforts and great collaboration. They actually made it to the top three in the Energy-related Use Cases category! This achievement is a demonstration of the innovative and impactful nature of our project. The recognition further solidifies our commitment to leveraging data and analytics to drive sustainable solutions and contribute to a greener and more sustainable future. We would also like to thank our sister company, Otofacto, a manufacturing specialist and founding partner of CBTW, which provided us with unique insights into the industry.
“The Hackathon was a unique opportunity to explore how data and analytics can drive sustainability. Working on the AI-driven Energy Optimization project, we were able to see first-hand how the SAS IoT solutions can actually contribute to sustainability-related use cases.”
– Alexander Buchwald, Data Science Team Leader at Positive Thinking Company
Team 2: Personalized Recommendation Engine for a More Sustainable Lifestyle
Over the past decade, there has been a general shift in awareness of the impact we – humans – can have on the planet we live on. A belated wake-up call, many would say, but a wake-up call nonetheless. And it’s the small, everyday actions we all take, without realizing it, that can have a positive impact on the world around us. Not to mention that it has the power to push companies and governments to align with this (re)evolution.
Yet it’s often difficult, and rightly so, to rethink our consumption habits, and to change our day-to-day lives. Having this in mind, our second team developed a modern tool called the ‘Sustainable Lifestyle Questionnaire’. This tool simplifies the journey towards eco-friendly living by providing tailored recommendations that align with the user’s lifestyle.
The recommendation engine delivers personalized advice, rated by fellow users, covering a broad and open spectrum of sustainability aspects. By answering a series of straightforward questions, users receive personalized recommendations that enable them to embrace sustainable practices without sacrificing their daily routine.
The power of our engine grows with our community. The more users participate, the better and more precise the advice becomes, fostering a community-driven approach to sustainable living. Congrats to our team for this very collaborative approach to a more sustainable lifestyle!
“Using new SAS tools and techniques during the Hackathon was a game-changer. It allowed us to effectively approach user-centricity and data-driven insights, and pair SAS with other components to achieve a sustainability use case. It was a truly enriching experience.”
– Paul Eisermann, Team Leader Analytics and BI at Positive Thinking Company
The Hackathon from the Inside: Another Opportunity to Put Data & Analytics at the Service of Sustainability Projects
The SAS Hackathon is more than just a competition; it’s a true opportunity to put data and analytics capabilities at the service of sustainability. At Positive Thinking Company, we believe in the power of a data-driven approach toward more sustainability.
We have been investigating, and investing in sustainability-related topics, with recent initiatives including a brand new solution for organizations to master their ESG reporting. Our approach is simple but efficient: we build an actionable dashboard, tailored to the unique requirements of our clients, that allows for accurate monitoring of their sustainability efforts. After all, we cannot change what we cannot measure.
Our first project, the AI-driven Energy Optimization solution, was not just a theoretical exercise. It was a real-world project developed for one of our clients in the European Union. This project demonstrates how we can leverage data and analytics technologies like SAS to drive sustainable solutions in real-world scenarios.
Our participation in the SAS Hackathon 2023 was an incredible journey of curiosity, innovation, and collaboration. We are proud to have been part of this event and look forward to continuing to push boundaries and challenge the status quo in the world of Data and Analytics. Stay tuned for next year’s projects.
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