The inaugural event of the newly formed Acadia Institute for Data Analytics will explore the use of data in the wine and fruit-growing sectors.

The seminar, titled Data Analytics for the Wine & Fruit-Growing Industries, will take place on the morning of March 29 at Clark Commons at Acadia University in Wolfville.

“Data analytics has and will continue to have a major impact on the agricultural and agri-food industries in Nova Scotia,” said Wesley Booth, the Communications and Events Coordinator for the Institute in a release. “The goal of the seminar is to demonstrate how data analytics is relevant to the wine and fruit- growing industries in Nova Scotia and to get organizations thinking about its use.”

The guest speakers include Colin Bell, who will discuss tracking/reducing plant disease with data analytics; Angus Ells of Oxford Foods and David Colville of Nova Scotia Community College. Both Ells and Colville have practical experience in applied data analytics in these agricultural sectors.  The keynote speaker will be Dr. Jim Willwerth from Brock University's Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) who will talk about the success of using data analytics to protect grape crops in southern Ontario.

There will also be a panel discussion on how investment in data analytics can benefit this sector.