For two days, students from the MSc Data Science & Artificial Intelligence program at TBS Education, along with five students from the University of Galway, took on the challenge of solving a problem presented by the Pierre Fabre Group. This competition was organized by TBS Education professors, Kevin Carillo and Serge Nyawa in collaboration with Dieudonné TCHUENTE, head of the Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence and Business Analytics.
The Datathon is a flagship event that allows students to apply their skills in artificial intelligence and data analysis to a real business problem. This year, Pierre Fabre proposed a significant challenge: developing a predictive AI model for sales.
Pierre Fabre Laboratories, a key player in the pharmaceutical and dermo-cosmetics industry in France and worldwide, challenged participants to design an innovative solution. The project was carried out in partnership with TNP Consultants, a firm specializing in digital transformation and business strategy, which supported the students throughout the competition.
“TBS Education trains individuals from diverse backgrounds, bringing together their rich experiences and skills. In the Datathon, they work on a highly important challenge for Pierre Fabre, where their expertise will be invaluable.” – Clara Thibault, Chief Data & Analytics Officer & Thibault Poissonnier, Data Scientist Lead at Pierre Fabre
“It’s very enriching to learn about different industries, especially the pharmaceutical sector. Additionally, the students come from various cultural backgrounds, bringing great diversity. It’s a valuable opportunity for us to learn how to forecast sales, a skill that will be useful when working for companies looking to predict their sales.” – Manish, student of University of Galway, attended the event
The competition began on the TBS Education campus with an introduction to the event and the problem statement provided by Pierre Fabre. Divided into teams, students worked on developing a machine learning model, guided by professors and industry professionals.
Each team had until midnight to submit a video pitch presenting their solution. The next day, after team debriefings, participants continued refining their models before the top three projects were selected for a final presentation before a jury.
The Datathon concluded with an awards ceremony and a networking session with professors and event partners.
“We focus on experience and student satisfaction, enabling them to apply all the skills learned throughout the year to a single project. There are highly technical aspects, but we also have prizes for those more business-oriented or creative, especially for video presentations, ensuring that over the two days, everyone finds value in the experience.” – Kévin CARILLO, Professor in charge of the MSc Data Science & Artificial Intelligence program
Each year, three teams are awarded prizes at the Datathon. Here are the winners of the 2025 edition:
A special surprise award, “Best Actor,” was given to Peerapat MANAKIT for his outstanding video “A.I. for Dummies.”
Congratulations to the winners and all the participants of the 2025 Datathon for their dedication and projects!
Alongside the Datathon, the APEM Award for Best Thesis in Artificial Intelligence ceremony was held. This award, presented by the Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence and Business Analytics, recognizes the best MSc theses in Data Science and AI at TBS Education each year.
The submitted theses were evaluated based on several criteria:
The event took place at the Social Hub on Friday, March 21, 2025, following the Datathon.
This award ceremony provides a unique opportunity for Datathon participants and APEM Award winners to network with industry professionals and members of the Center of Excellence. It’s a special moment to celebrate innovation and excellence at TBS Education in artificial intelligence.
“One of the goals is to foster knowledge transmission. Seeing former students receive awards serves as motivation for the next cohort as they prepare for their own theses. We also invite industry partners, creating networking opportunities that can lead to internships or job prospects.” – Kévin CARILLO, Professor in charge of the MSc Data Science & Artificial Intelligence program
The 2025 Datathon and APEM Award ceremony illustrate TBS Education’s and its Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence and Business Analytics’ commitment to training experts capable of tackling tomorrow’s challenges. This enriching experience aligns with business expectations and current industry challenges.
If you want to know more about the Centre of Excellence