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Transforming data into useful information for decision-making. This is the objective of statistics, a key science in the business, industrial and healthcare fields. To this end, Alberto Ferrer Riquelme, professor at the Universitat Politècnica de València, has developed a brilliant career in this field, and has now been recognised with the Box Medal 2025, an award given by the European Network for Business and Industrial Statistics (ENBIS). It is one of the most important European awards in the field of statistics applied to industry.

The medal is named after George Box, one of the most influential scientists of the second half of the 20th century, whose legacy lives on today thanks to his contributions in the fields of quality control, process optimisation and time series prediction. Professor Ferrer has now received the George Box Medal, having had the opportunity to meet Box himself many years ago. "Professor George Box has been a role model in my professional life, one of the most brilliant minds in the field of statistics. I am still processing this recognition, which feels like a gift. I have no words to express my gratitude to the ENBIS committee," said Alberto Ferrer, who is currently in Piraeus, Greece, for the ENBIS conference and annual awards ceremony.

From big data analysis to early cancer diagnosis

The Medal Box is awarded each year to a leading professional in the field of statistics who has made an outstanding contribution to its application in European business and industry. This recognition comes after significant achievements: from the development of statistical methodologies to analyse large data sets and detect faults in industrial processes to the implementation of imaging biomarkers for the early diagnosis of cancer and/or the identification of genes involved in disease development.

Statistics, key to decision-making

‘Having data does not necessarily mean having good information: Quantity is not synonymous with quality, and data quality is necessary for making good decisions,' explains Alberto Ferrer. He thus highlights the importance of statistics in today's society, where vast amounts of data are handled that would be impossible to analyse and interpret without the help of statistics.

A brilliant career

Alberto Ferrer, professor in the Department of Applied Statistics, Operational Research and Quality at the UPV, trained as an agricultural engineer at the Universitat Politècnica de València, later obtaining his PhD in Statistics under the supervision of Professor Rafael Romero-Villafranca, one of Spain's leading industrial statisticians.

Ferrer Riquelme furthered his academic training abroad as a visiting lecturer at McMaster University, where he met Professor John F. MacGregor, also awarded the George Box Medal in 2014. Alberto Ferrer also heads the Multivariate Statistical Engineering Research Group (GIEM), which focuses on the research and development of multivariate statistical techniques to improve process quality and productivity, as well as the analysis of large data structures.

He is also the scientific director and co-founder of Kenko Imalytics S.L.. This healthcare technology spin-off aims to develop advanced imaging biomarkers for the early diagnosis of cancer based on the analysis of medical images, as well as the company Kensight Solutions, a spin-off dedicated to the management and analysis of big data in the industrial sector.