The Data Analytics Lab is where computational power meets systems thinking. This is the ESD home for simulation, optimisation, and analysis. It began life as a Trading Lab, simulating the research and trading activities of a financial professional. It is equipped with Bloomberg terminals giving you access to a wealth of up-to-date financial information on publicly traded firms. It also features a display board with running updates of current stock prices. But the lab has grown to embrace statistical analysis of large datasets, simulation of complex facilities, and optimisation of large scale multi-objective planning and design problems. It provides the latest tools that cover all three aspects of data analytics – descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytics. We also host interactive, computer-based games where teams of students tackle realistic, fast-paced operational challenges such as bringing a large development project to completion on time and under budget in spite of disruptive events. This is the place to hone your computational and decision-making skills.

The Systems Design Studio is an idea-friendly home for teams and design classes to meet and explore concepts that could change the world. There is ample white-space for sketching your ideas as well as display areas for showing off ideas in progress. We can cover large surfaces with sticky notes and engage in “Voice-of-the-Customer” affinity exercises. The space is re-configurable, so there is room for “body-storming” exercises to complement brain-storming activities. This is intended to be a low-tech room but we do intend to experiment with multi-touch display walls to spur and capture your creativity. This is the place to conceive your next big idea.