Issue link: http://tourismwpg.uberflip.com/i/1056362
12 TH E WINNIPEG INVE STOR More and more companies are relying on data to help grow their business. Big data, which uses massive data sets to identify trends and patterns, is already being used by local and global organiza- tions in Winnipeg to drive business growth. Agribusiness companies like Farmers Edge are using big data in the precision agriculture industry, while food delivery enabler SkipTheDishes uses real-time GPS data to track each of their delivery schedules with pinpoint accuracy. With companies like these pushing the envelope on what is possible with big data, Winnipeg is becoming a leader in this emerging sector. As big data drives business growth it can also drive Winnipeg's economic development. Inspired by the private sector companies that support YES! Winnipeg, the team is harnessing the power of big data to better focus their efforts and drive investment opportunities. Big data is a new tool in YES! Winnipeg's evolving arsenal to identify high-growth Winnipeg companies in need of support, and attract new foreign direct investment (FDI). Having access to the best data is a competitive advantage for any jurisdiction. When data is inte-grated with other data points to tell a story, it can be a powerful tool for identifying, targeting, and converting FDI opportunities into wins for Winnipeg. For YES! Winnipeg, the identification of these target companies is essential information to compete with other jurisdictions and help the YES! team focus on the highest potential opportunities, yielding maximum value for every dollar invested in the initiative. The highly competitive business of FDI attraction requires cutting- edge tools, and YES! Winnipeg is prepared to play. Big data tools can help Winnipeg keep pace against competitor jurisdictions, helping to quickly and effectively identify new companies that are likely to expand and are looking for new centres of operation, distribution, or talent. Recently the YES! team acquired access to Gazelle.ai, a machine- learning platform that helps economic development agencies identify new targets for investment attraction. This system, which identifies businesses who may be seeking to expand in the next 24 months using a variety of indicators and intelligent software, is a game changer for YES! Winnipeg. New tools like Gazelle.ai to help identify new targets for foreign direct investment big investments Using big data to attract