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This post was also posted on the World Bank on 01/22/2016 Last year, we spoke at Davos about Big Data. We were excited to explore the challenges and opportunities; especially in regards to the 2030 roadmap for the Global Goals (Sustainable Development Goals). So, a year on, has big data caught on? In 2015 we kick-started the Global Goals, with a special emphasis on data. The main development organizations came together, and the goals and targets were approved. Stakeholders collaborated and shared their experiences. Excitingly, big data remained a central component of these conversations. The data4sdgs.org partnership was announced, of which the World Bank Group is an anchor partner and, we have committed US$ 20M for an innovation fund. This partnership will work to ensure big data analytical approaches are not just being used to increase the efficacy of development programs, but that we are using these approaches to monitor and ensure that programs are effective and truly reach those living in extreme poverty. ...

Cross posted on World Bank’s blog In the past few years there have been a growing array of development projects using satellite images. Some recent examples from our blogs are poverty measurement in Guatemala, overview of the ESA satellites partnership with the Bank, monitoring oil flaring, water resources in India, measuring economic output, measuring agricultural yields, agricultural financial resilience in Ethiopia, Planet labs commit 60 million $ worth of images for development. ...

We are living a fundamental (as opposed to incremental) data revolution which enables an, also fundamental, information revolution. In the classical DIK view of Data, then Information, and then Knowledge; we are still missing the third layer. That isn’t happening, nor do I argue it will, if we don’t have stronger leaders shaping the right direction. Klaus Schwab introducing our panel discussion. Earlier this month I was part of a WEF panel on the current trends of knowledge and technology. The panel had the Forum’s leads on these topics and the amazing Claire Boonstra (e.g. just check her TED talk on value-based education). The plenary had ~500 fellow global leaders from around the world. We had a great discussion, and these are some thoughts collected before, during and after the session (under Chatham House Rules). ...

Cross posted on “Voices”, the World’s Bank blog. Just over five decades ago humans sent the first artificial satellite into space — Sputnik. At the time the World Bank was barely 10 years old and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) was just created. But, space has quickly grown to be a critical asset for our society, and increasingly indispensable for development. For instance, last week IFC announced an investment in a micro satellite company — Planet Labs, and at our event on Big Data for a More Resilient Future this week we displayed one so audience members could understand how small, agile, and mobile these machines have become since the days of Sputnik. Space’s role in society and development is the main narrative of the report that was just released by the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Space. ...

Cross posted on “Voices”, the World’s Bank blog. Last week I was invited to speak at the Annual Conference of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. There were more than 2800 official attendees, convening 1,500 business leaders from more than 100 countries, around 40 heads of state and 300 members of government and international institutions, 14 Nobel Laureates and 800 participants from academia, NGOs and civil society. An overwhelming number of people for a data geek like me, but the potential to maximize stakeholder engagement and forward looking conversations. With more than 300 sessions, it was a perfect landing space to grow and test the network we need for my new role as a data scientist at the World Bank Group’s Innovation Labs. ...

I was invited to speak at the World Economic Forum in Panama earlier this month. It was a great opportunity to get to know the country, to give a workshop for NGOs about online mapping and, especially, have the chance to talk at the Forum about a topic so close to my heart: Science, Technology and the future of Education. The session was translated into several languages and broadcasted live on Internet. Here’s the link to the video: ...

I demoed Google Glass to the Spanish president, Mariano Rajoy. It was a funny anecdote, and this is how it happened. In January my President Mariano Rajoy came to meet Obama, and also held a reception at the Ambassador’s residence. I was invited. I had Glass, and I decided to bring them to the event, not wearing them, but in their pouch. Right after entering I asked someone to take a picture of us, we started talking and it turned out that the person was the Head of Intelligence of the President’s cabinet, Alfonso de Senillosa. We started talking about technology and I mentioned the Google Glass I had on its pouch. He was very keen to try them so I took them out. He enjoyed trying them and I told him I would be honored to demo the Glass to the president if he wanted. At the same time virtually everyone around us also wanted to try them so I spent the next 30 minutes demoing and talking about the Glass with all the invitees and all the national and international media gathered around. ...

I’ve joined MapBox as Chief Scientist! This is a long-coming love story, made possible thanks to my recent extraordinary visa. An amazing next stop on my journey to bridge Science and Technology with Society at large. I am very excited to join this awesome team. Think of MapBox as a mix of Wikipedia for maps (leveraging the power of open data and crowds) and Apple style to master a product that is beautiful, fast and breaks beyond convention. Faster, better, open maps for anything that has a location. ...

Today is my last day at GAIN. Almost 3 years dedicated to bringing a pragmatic view of the challenges of climate change adaptation. It has been a wild ride. I’m very proud of the work we’ve done and very thankful to everyone I’ve worked with. I’ve truly learned a lot, professionally and personally. GAIN continues as NG-GAIN, now housed inside the University of Notre Dame. In fact I’ve spent the last 6 months dedicated to ensuring the transition is as smooth as possible. I will remain a very close friend and supporter, but now it’s time for me to move on to the next chapter on this journey. I’ve dedicated the last decade to broadening the impact of science. GAIN has been an important step, but I am thrilled to step up on that commitment. ...

-Last week it was announced that The 2013 Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation has gone to the Max Planck Society. The Asturias newspaper “El comercio” asked me to tell their readers how is it to make a PhD at the Max Planck. This is what I sent. - Todavía me quedaban ocho asignaturas de la carrera de Física, cuando en febrero solicité mi beca de doctorado al Max Planck. Mi profesor de Física Estelar II me lo recomendó. Yo acababa de llegar de Oviedo a La Laguna para terminar la carrera con la especialidad de Astrofísica y me pareció una locura. Los pocos compañeros a los que se lo dije me dijeron que me olvidase. Imposible. No me lo podía creer cuando en junio me invitaron a ir a dar una charla al comité de selección para la última fase. Nunca me olvidaré de que al acabar la misma todos los asistentes, investigadores de alto rango, se pusieron a dar golpes en las mesas, como llamando a la puerta. Luego supe que esa es la forma de aplaudir en academia en Alemania. Sólo aceptarían a nueve de los veinte candidatos, de entre los más de 500 que se habían presentado. Todos tenían excepcionales cualidades. ...