TU Delft in ROBUST with 3 new ICAI labs and AI clinics for SMEs thanks to NWO funding of 25 million euro
Today, the NWO announced that it is awarding the ROBUST programme 25 million euros. ROBUST, an initiative from the Innovation Centre for Artificial Intelligence (ICAI), is a collaboration of 51 partners from industry, government, and the knowledge sector, including TU Delft. ROBUST's total budget is over 87 million euros, and with the new impetus from NWO, 17 labs and 170 PhD students will be added in 10 years.
Arie van Deursen, professor of Software Engineering at TU Delft, is on the advisory board of ICAI and is one of ROBUST's main applicants. TU Delft already participates in five ICAI labs, and three new ICAI labs and AI clinics for SMEs are now being added.
The ICAI lab formula, in which five PhD students collaborate closely with companies or societal organizations for five years, has proven a great success, also for TU Delft. Within the ROBUST long term program we will create many more of those fruitful collaborations: in total with over 50 different partners. There is critical mass and cross fertilization — the perfect way to address the crucial challenge of trustworthy AI.
Arie van Deursen, scientific director of one of the existing labs and co-applicant of the ROBUST proposal
The new labs are the AI for Energy Grids lab, the RAIL lab and the TROIKA lab. These labs are respectively looking at improving energy storage capacity, increasing overall railway logistics capacity and the reliable development of collaborative knowledge structures, contributing to more accurate decision-making. In addition, funds have been awarded for the provision of South Holland AI clinics for SMEs. TU Delft is pleased with the addition of these four new activities, as these new AI labs and AI clinics fit into the set of education research and innovation activities that TU Delft has bundled in the TU Delft AI Initiative. Led by Geert-Jan Houben, the AI Initiative connects research, education and partnerships in and with AI, data and digitalisation.
It is exciting to see how scientists from TU Delft will be able to provide research and innovation contributions to the important scientific and societal challenges of this prestigious, national long-term program. It shows how the TU Delft approach to combining research in-AI and with-AI is an excellent basis for impact in society.
Geert-Jan Houben, Pro Vice Rector Magnificus AI, Data and Digitalisation
AI, data and digitalisation at TU Delft
At Delft University of Technology, we believe that AI technology is vital to create a more sustainable, safer and healthier future. We research, design and engineer AI technology and study its application in society. AI technology plays a key role in each of our eight faculties and is an integral part of the education of our students. Through AI education, research and innovation we create impact for a better society. Visit our website to find out what is happening in AI research, education and innovation in AI, Data & Digitalisation: www.tudelft.nl/ai