UFRN launches the first data science lab in the country

By Amanda Makedo, from Agyekum

UFRN opens a new milestone in data science research and innovation with implementation Data Science Lab (LaCiD). The research space, installed in Room 83A of the Center for Exact and Earth Sciences (CCET), is an important step towards scientific and technological advances in interdisciplinary data analysis.

LaCiD is made up of a dedicated team of professors, students, and guests, and its central mission is to promote innovative and applied research in the field of data science. The group focuses on exploring statistical techniques, machine learning, and data analysis to solve complex challenges across industries.

Under the leadership of Professors Marcelo Borguignon and Marcos Nunes, both from the Department of Statistics at UFRN, LaCiD was born to be a hub for aggregating initiatives and activities in data science, filling a gap in Rio Grande do Norte and integrating itself as the first specialized data science laboratory in the region.

Data science has emerged as a platform these days due to the increase in generation and collection of data in a variety of sectors of society. LaCiD seeks to meet this demand by providing an academic and interdisciplinary environment that collaborates with other institutions and laboratories, both within the university and nationally. This collaborative approach will allow the sharing of human resources, specialized knowledge and technology, and foster the creation of data-driven solutions to more complex challenges.

According to Marcelo Borguignon, coordinator of LaCiD, the lab is emerging as a response to the lack of space for data science research and innovation in our state. He adds, “Our vision is to be a reference for collaboration in activities related to data analysis, bringing together specialists from different fields to tackle complex challenges.”

In this scenario, the new laboratory presents itself as a primary platform for the development of research and innovation projects through data analysis, with a focus on inference and machine learning. LaCid will not only contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge, but also to the practical application of this knowledge in collaborative projects with other institutions and services of society.