Ikea doffs its cap to data literacy and innovation as retail giant kicks off World Data Games Week

Ikea has announced the launch of the Ikea World Data Games Week.

Taking place this week, this is a mix of keynote speeches, friendly competition and collaborative challenges designed to tackle real societal issues using data from the Ikea Foundation.

It kicked off with an opening ceremony on Monday, setting the stage for a series of activities.

During the next few days, participants will dive into various challenges, including how to reduce food waste, CO2 reduction, and the refugee crisis initiatives, culminating in a grand closing ceremony and awards ceremony, with a top award for best performing teams.

Key objectives to be reached during the event include:  

• Facilitate data access – The event promotes data democratisation by encouraging collaboration.  

• Practical expertise – Participants will gain hands-on experience in data visualisation and analysis, from creating PowerBI dashboards to leveraging Copilot capabilities. 

• Exploration through competition – The ability to drive participants to uncover data potential. 

• Flexibility and agility – Exploring themes from food to climate issues. 

• Social impact – The data sets are looking to be impactful to real world challenges.  

Each participant will join one day of the competition, and be part of a multidisciplinary team, comprising of members in the areas of sales, logistics, design, product, and communications.

The goal is to work across various locations, with different skillsets and backgrounds, to tackle one single challenge.

Mentors from the Data & Analytics teams will be available to provide insights and support throughout the event.

Parag Parekh, Chief Digital Officer (CDO) at Ikea Retail (Ingka Group), says: ‘’World Data Games is an extraordinary opportunity for us to harness the collective creativity and analytical minds of our co-workers around the globe.”

“The event is not just about competition, it’s about collaboration, innovation and the creation of valuable data insights that can drive real-world solutions.”

“Through shared learning experiences, participants will empower each other, fostering a culture of continuous collaboration and knowledge sharing within Ikea. Together we will harness the power of data to drive meaningful change and create a better future for all.”