Women in Data Science: Premiere of the WiDS conference at the FHV

The Women in Data Science (WiDS) conference took place at the FHV for the first time. The event is part of the global WiDS initiative, which was launched by the non-profit organization of the same name. The aim of the worldwide conferences is to inspire data scientists - regardless of gender - to share knowledge and promote women in particular in this promising field, as organizer and WiDS ambassador Kathrin Plankensteiner explains. Around 200 visitors attended the technically-oriented conference. WiDS is a platform for the exchange of current research results and practical applications in the field of data science - interdisciplinary and at a high level. The renowned speakers, who shared their knowledge, experience and enthusiasm for data science, ensured variety and versatility. The speakers included FHV Rector Regine Kadgien, Olivia Pfeiler, Julia Sasse, Katharina Dimovski, Alexandra Posekany, Clara Puga, Diana Eglseder and Heidi Weber, Senior Lecturer at the FHV, who also received the Best Talk Award.

"Even if data science is not the core of the business model of many Vorarlberg SMEs and many do not have the financial means to set up their own data science department, it should still be possible to use their data. It was therefore important to me to offer the conference free of charge so that everyone can benefit from the expertise. A big thank you goes to the sponsors who made this possible!" emphasizes Plankensteiner.

Great potential

Data science holds great potential for making better decisions. Manufacturing companies in particular are already benefiting by evaluating data using the simplest methods. "However, this opportunity often remains untapped. Although many companies collect data, they do not evaluate it immediately. However, it is only through several iterations that its full potential can be exploited to make informed decisions. It is therefore important not to hesitate too long, but to start analyzing the data at an early stage. Otherwise, the collected data quickly loses its value because it becomes outdated, remains incomplete or can hardly be interpreted meaningfully later without context," says Plankensteiner.

Born in Carinthia, she also passes on her extensive knowledge as a data scientist to students as a lecturer on the computer science courses at the FHV. "On the Master's in Business Informatics - Digital Transformation, students even have the opportunity to work on a real use case from regional companies using real data - that's a really unique selling point. It gives them a very good insight into what it really takes to use data for decision-making," she concludes.

About WiDS

The initiative was launched at Stanford University in 2015 with the aim of focusing on women and their work in the field of data science. Today, the conference exists worldwide. It is a platform that raises the visibility of women in data science and brings data scientists - regardless of gender - together.

The sponsors of the first WiDS

Special thanks go to the sponsors UserGems, Actinium Consulting AG/Lindau, Blum Group, illwerke vkw, Gebrüder Weiss and Russmedia, who made it possible to offer the event free of charge and thus enable all interested parties to participate.