On the shoulders of giants

Using technology for a sustainable future

Behind great scientific innovations are teams of experts whose names don’t always make headline news. Yet their skills help forge the transformations that come to benefit the world. Their job is to build on the work of others, harness the power of all the knowledge and tools at their disposal, and apply it to solve a specific problem.

In this way, data scientists at Capgemini are using technological innovations to understand climate change better and to help create a sustainable future for life on Earth. One initiative that brings them together to look at how they can help create a better future is the Capgemini Global Data Science Challenge.

The team that won the 2020 competition developed a cutting-edge data solution that is set to play a part in protecting the future of an endangered species – sperm whales. Their work will help biologists map whale migration patterns and monitor any changes in the species’ behavior that might have arisen from environmental factors, such as climate change and warming ocean temperatures.

A winning solution

Capgemini team members Hartvig Johannson, Pedram Sherafat, and Simen Norrheim Larsen created a winning project that can deliver real-world impact, by applying tried-and-tested principles of innovation. 

Finally, the team agrees that innovations often build on the work of others. “People have been identifying whales manually for years,” says Hartvig. “A lot of ground was already prepared, so we could come in and add a technical solution to build on that. It has been a great way to make the most of machine learning and AI.”