West Bengal’s newly-formed Centre of Excellence on Data Science and Machine Learning aims to orchestrate an alliance among the government, researchers, educational institutions, and corporations.

The Centre of Excellence (CoE), under the Department of Information Technology and Electronics, will play an institutional role in areas like evaluation, selection and funding of Data Science & Machine Learning projects based on, but not limited to, government data, which have the potential to bring about significant change in the delivery of citizen-centric services by the West Bengal government, according to senior government officials.

“The CoE on Data Science and Machine Learning will promote research in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Big Data Analytics. It will function as a gateway to test and develop solutions for projects and provide capacity building, aiming at developing AI technologies in ministries, departments and other organisations,” West Bengal IT Minister Babul Supriyo told businessline.

“Start-ups can use the CoE to carry out advanced research to successfully establish themselves going forward and create new employment opportunities,” Supriyo added.

Centres of Excellences (CoEs) have become an important part of the policy mix for realising higher education and research sector goals all over the world. Data science and p analytics are advanced and complex processes of examining data to extract valuable information – such as hidden patterns, correlations, and insights into citizen behaviour. When applied to data generated from different government departments, data science and machine learning can facilitate smarter policy-making, reimagine citizen-centric service delivery, and create more efficient and integrated operations.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the Centre of Excellence on Data Science and Machine Learning in Kolkata on January 18.

West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation (Webel) is the state implementation agency (SIA) and state-level nodal agency (SLNA) for this CoE on Data Science & Machine Learning. Webel will execute all works of the CoE based on funds received from the state government in the Department of Information Technology and Electronics (IT&E). They will implement as per decisions of the mentoring committee, empowered committee and the state government in the Department of IT&E, said the government officials.

The CoE is expected to promote public-private partnerships to its functioning. By collaborating with private enterprises, it can leverage industry expertise and resources, leading to practical and industry-relevant research outcomes that can be applied in e-governance projects.

The CoE will be an incubation centre for start-ups and innovative DA & ML-driven initiatives. It will provide mentoring, infrastructure, and financial support to start-ups, nurturing a culture of entrepreneurship and technological innovation.

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