Traffic is a nightmare – every Maltese person can attest to that.

But what if, as you left home, your phone could pool data about every other person’s commute to find the fastest, least congested route to work?

Big data and advanced analytics are already transforming the world we live in, from collaborative journalism such as the ICIJ’s Panama Papers to the use of weather data points to create more accurate weather forecasts for shipping firms.

Maltese interested in the big data revolution will now get the chance to hear experts in the field first-hand, with Malta’s first Big Data summit to be held on 22 June at the Xara Lodge in Rabat.

The summit will bring business leaders, policy makers, academics, journalists and technology leaders together to discuss the future of the global economy and how big data and advanced analytics is transforming today’s business world.

Representatives of key players such as Microsoft, Zendesk, Qlik and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) will all give speeches, and international experts who have been involved in big data projects with firms such as HSBC, JP Morgan Chase and Hewlett Packard will also be in attendance.

The event will address key major developments where big data is having an impact, especially in disciplines like Artificial Intelligence (AI), smart transportation and the future of the motor car, journalism, financial services and marketing as well as the “Internet of Things” (IOT).

Executives, business professionals, data architects and anyone else interested in attending can find out more about the summit by visiting the Big Data Summit website.