ICAI: Start a Lab and Partner with Academic Professionals
Developments in AI techniques are happening at lightning speed. Are you looking for more knowledge to stay in the forefront? Start a five year partnership with academic professionals within your company or organisation and bring the AI knowledge within your company to a higher level. Together you determine the research topics.
The Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence (ICAI) provides five-year collaborations between academic partners and industry, governmental or non-profit organisations: ICAI Labs. The overall goal is usually a mixture of three factors:
- Creating new knowledge;
- Bringing the knowledge creation efforts of the sponsoring partner(s) to a higher level;
- Attracting and developing new talent.
Knowledge transfer
A collaboration involves an investment from all Lab partners, to fund at least five PhD students, a Lab manager and scientific directors. The partners work together to determine the research topics.
A key ingredient of ICAI Labs is knowledge transfer. Within the Lab this is a critical factor to make the the partnership a success. ICAI Labs also take on responsibility to share knowledge, and organise events that help strengthen their local AI ecosystem.
About ICAI
ICAI’s mission is to keep the Netherlands at the forefront of knowledge and talent development in AI. Creating and nurturing a national AI knowledge and talent ecosystem is our central aim. ICAI Amsterdam is the regional unit focused on collaborations that involve the knowledge institutes in Amsterdam area.
ICAI’s innovation strategy is organised around industry labs, these are multi-year strategic collaborations with a focus on technology and talent development. ICAI will create innovative AI-applications, distribute AI-knowledge for companies and organisations in the form of technology products and tools, train corporate employees through dedicated courses, and simultaneously maintain a connection with other world-level science centers. ICAI will also facilitate commercialisation by enhancing start-up and spin-outs.
‘The Netherlands has all the resources to take up a prominent position in the international AI landscape – top talent, innovation strength and research at world-class level. ICAI combines these strengths in a unique national initiative.’
Current ICAI Labs
At ICAI there are several Labs. Two examples are:
At the crossroads of oncology and AI - ICAI AI for Oncology Lab
The AI for Oncology lab is a collaboration between the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) and the University of Amsterdam. Both institutes join forces in the development of AI algorithms to improve cancer treatment.
> How algorithms can improve cancer care
Bosch makes three million available for AI research – ICAI Delta Lab 2
PhD students and postdocs conduct research into Deep Learning, an important part of AI. Specific research is carried out into the integration of AI in vehicles.
A successful collaboration
To be able to establish a flourishing ICAI Lab, your company or organisation is the right partner if:
- You have a data pipeline in place;
- You employ highly skilled people to ensure that the outcomes of the Lab are integrated in your organisation;
- You have internal capacity (staff, facilities) to work with the researchers that make up the Lab.
Benefit from a partnership
Data scientists from your company or organisation get the opportunity to work closely with academics, contribute to education and science and even perform PhD research. On the other hand, academics get a better picture of how AI is used in practice to solve social problems. You’re helping to bridge the gap between scientific and business worlds. Which is creating a positive employer brand, important to attract talents.