Innovation
Profile
East Netherlands
AI hub East Netherlands
In the East Netherlands, we are working on innovations for a better, more sustainable and healthier life. The application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays an important role in this. The AI hub East Netherlands connects companies and knowledge institutes and jointly develops a lively ecosystem. The hub takes care of organising, stimulating and supporting AI developments from the region, in cooperation with the Netherlands and Europe.
In the East Netherlands, more than 350 companies are actively working on AI applications around important themes. More than 500 scientists and PhD students at the regional knowledge institutes are researching the possibilities of AI. We are bringing these many separate links together in the AI hub East Netherlands. This will create more strength for AI’s further development and demand-oriented application.
AI hub East Netherlands is a platform for entrepreneurs, knowledge institutes and governments that (want to) work with AI. The goal is to make the existing partnerships and initiatives – such as AI for Life, the AI network in Twente and BOOST Smart Industry – visible, to connect them and to expand them. The AI hub East Netherlands facilitates collaboration and acts as an inspiration source and showcase for developments and projects.
East Netherlands – AI ecosystem
The increasingly strong AI ecosystem that is created and made visible in this way creates an attractive climate for new businesses to establish themselves, it binds researchers and digital talent to the region and offers opportunities to acquire funds, among others in Europe. By working together on digital innovations in the region, we also make a substantial contribution to the national AI innovation strategy. And to the solutions for major societal challenges, such as the use of AI for improved diagnostics in healthcare, and for smarter energy systems that help us tackle the climate challenge.
Want to know more about the existing AI network in the East Netherlands? Check out this infographic.
Themes
AI hub East Netherlands focuses on the application of AI in themes where the region is strong, that have a positive impact on people and the environment, and where economic opportunities can be found. These are primarily health, food, industry, energy and education. In addition, within the hub we are working on applying AI to themes such as safety, biodiversity, logistics, transport and mobility. Crossovers and knowledge sharing between all these themes are ensured.
Function and added value
AI hub East Netherlands accelerates the development and application of AI with partners on different scales:
- Europe: active lead or contribution in consortia and programmes within, among others,
- Digital Europe
- Horizon Europe
- Green Deal
Proactively thinking about and working on EU policy and programme development.
- Neighbouring Germany: structural exchange of knowledge with relevant platforms and networks from North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, and stimulating and participating in cross-border projects of companies and institutions.
- National and NL AIC: the commitment of the ecosystem in national bodies and initiatives to accelerate and scale up AI applications, taking the lead in programmes and projects in which the East Netherlands has a distinctive capacity, and regional co-financing of national programmes and facilities.
- Other regions in the Netherlands: acting as a driving force in accelerating and scaling up AI applications in specific application areas, and exchanging knowledge on successful approaches, instruments and financing constructions.
- Sub-regions within the East Netherlands: broadening the ecosystem to include SMEs (making innovation followers and adopters AI-ready), and jointly exploring AI application possibilities in non-priority sectors.
Making the right connections
AI hub East Netherlands helps parties find their way in the AI field. We map out partners, projects and funding opportunities and make the right connections. We make use of existing regional partnerships and initiatives, and are connected to and continue to build national and European networks.
Joining the AI hub East Netherlands has added value:
- Direct and low-threshold access to the AI ecosystem
- Strategic collaboration in initiatives and innovation projects
- Pooling and sharing of available knowledge and facilities
- Access to other AI hubs and networks, both national and international
- Help in finding and applying for relevant grants and other funding
- Inspiration on solutions that AI can offer to businesses
Deepening: AI applications
| Topic | Application | Added value of AI |
| Health | (Intelligent) Medical Imaging
|
Faster diagnosis through recognition of abnormalities |
| Better diagnosis and treatment through technical support of specialists | ||
| Health Robotics &
Personalized E-Health |
More targeted and less invasive surgical procedures (operative robots) | |
| Improved well-being of patients/clients (social robots) | ||
| Faster rehabilitation (rehabilitation robots) | ||
| Efficiency improvement in hospitals (robotics hospital logistics) | ||
| AgriFood | Smart Farming | Optimisation of production (higher yield, less labour input) |
| Precision agriculture impulse (targeted and selective) | ||
| Improved climate performance (reduction of greenhouse gas emissions) | ||
| More animal-friendly farming | ||
| Food Processing | Improving quality and process control | |
| Reduced maintenance and failure costs through smart maintenance | ||
| Product innovation impulse, e.g. AI-based taste modelling | ||
| Industry | Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics | Engineering and process optimisation |
| More flexible production processes | ||
| Predictive and remote maintenance | ||
| Quality inspection | ||
| Semicon Technology | Computer vision | |
| Voice recognition | ||
| Brain-inspired computing | ||
| Predictive maintenance | ||
| Energy | Decentralised Grid Management | Facilitating decentralised electricity generation |
| Balancing energy supply and demand | ||
| Connecting energy carriers and infrastructures through conversion | ||
| Smoothing out highs and lows in energy supply and demand |
Source: BCI Report 12-12-2020
Education
In view of the education cluster present in the region and in order to raise the profile of the AI hub even more, Education will be added as a key theme. The AI hub East Netherlands also focuses on AI applications in the areas of safety, biodiversity, logistics, transport and mobility.
Download: Presentation AI Hub East Netherlands
Read more: visit the website of AI Hub East Netherlands
