Centre for Explainable Data Analytics (CEDA) for Developing Intelligent Systems for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Greater Toronto Area

多伦多是加拿大最大的科技中心，也是北美第三大科技中心。它拥有超过48，000家零售企业，雇用超过150万人，年收入超过90亿美元。大多数加拿大企业现在正在转向数据驱动的零售方式，这种方式可以对财务、社会和消费者数据进行详细、智能的分析，以做出关键的商业决策，将意见货币化，改进产品和增加收入。云数据存储、虚拟分析和社交媒体营销的趋势技术导致加拿大企业产生的消费者数据量出现了天文数字般的增长。尽管当前的COVID大流行危机导致大多数垂直行业的经济放缓，但零售商转向在线购物和营销，为分析市场创造了众多机会。这也导致了对数字化转型技术的需求增加，在线和远程服务意识到客户数据的价值。使用客户数据对于建立新的商业模式非常重要，但许多公司在接受这一转变时面临技术挑战。Centennial College的可解释数据分析中心（CEDA）将通过开发可解释数据分析方面的新技术，设计应用程序和解决方案，为这些企业提供更强大的基础。CEDA将协助多伦多的中小企业采用新的方法来设计和开发数据驱动的商业系统，更好地了解客户的喜好，计算平台和替代的用户界面，由技术塑造。CEDA建立在百年学院已经发展的应用研究能力和软件工程技术课程的基础上。NSERC的投资将使更多的学生和教师参与各种行业合作计划，提高学院的整体应用研究能力，并支持基于GTA的中小企业的增长和创新。

Toronto is Canada's largest technology hub and the third largest in North America. It is home to over 48,000 retail businesses employing over 1.5 million people and generating over $9 billion in annual revenue. Most Canadian businesses are now shifting towards a data-driven retailing approach, which empowers the detailed, intelligent analysis of financial, social and consumer data for making critical business decisions, monetize opinions, improve products and increase revenue. Trending technologies in cloud data storage, virtual analytics and social media marketing have led to an astronomical growth in the amount of consumer data which is being generated for Canadian businesses. Although the current COVID pandemic crisis has led to an economic slowdown in most industry verticals, the pivoting of retailers to online shopping and marketing has led to creating numerous opportunities in analytics market. This has also led to an increased demand of digital transformation technologies, online and remote services awareness of the value of customer data. Using the customer data is very important for building new business models but many companies face technical challenges in embracing this shift. Centennial College's Centre for Explainable Data Analytics (CEDA) will empower these businesses by developing newer technologies in explainable data analytics and designing applications and solutions to provide a stronger footing in the data-driven market. The CEDA will assist Toronto's SMEs to adopt new approaches to designing and developing data enabled business systems with better customer preferences understanding, computing platforms and alternative user interfaces that are shaped by technology. CEDA is built on the already developed applied research capacity and Software Engineering Technology programs at Centennial College. NSERC investment will enable engaging more students and faculty on various industry-collaborated initiatives, boosting the overall applied research capacity of the College and supporting GTA-based SMEs for their growth and innovation.