On March 17, the IA Grand Est ENACT cluster organized the IA and Innovation Meetings, two simultaneous events in Nancy and Strasbourg that brought together more than 230 participants – researchers, entrepreneurs, engineers, students, and public officials. This double event was a real highlight for the regional artificial intelligence ecosystem and an opportunity to strengthen the ties between the academic world and the socio-economic actors of the region.
Fostering dialogue between research and companies
Throughout the afternoon and evening, participants were able to discover the cluster’s service offerings, exchange with artificial intelligence experts, and attend several presentations and sharing of experiences.
In Strasbourg, the event also included visits to research and innovation platforms, followed by a roundtable discussion focused on the different forms of collaboration possible between laboratories and companies. These discussions highlighted the variety of resources available to transform an idea or industrial need into a research or innovation project.
Exploring resources and sharing experiences
The various speeches allowed participants to discover the resources available within the regional ecosystem. The support services offered by the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) were presented alongside the cluster’s initiatives.
In Nancy, several companies and organizations engaged in innovation – including Orange, marmelab, as well as representatives from MEDEF and La French Tech – shared their experiences on integrating artificial intelligence into their activities.
In Strasbourg, participants learned about the artificial intelligence training courses offered by the University of Strasbourg’s continuing education service, the expertise and experimental means of the GAIA platform at the ICube laboratory dedicated to valuing the data of socio-economic actors, as well as the access modalities to research expertise via the Alsace University Innovation Pole.
A collective dynamic serving innovation
Beyond the interventions and presentations, these meetings mainly allowed the actors of the regional ecosystem to connect and develop new perspectives for collaboration.
Informal exchanges and networking sessions allowed participants to share experiences, identify common interests, and reflect together on the structuring of a dynamic regional ecosystem around AI.
Continuing the momentum
With these IA and Innovation Meetings, the IA Grand Est ENACT cluster confirms its commitment to strengthening the bridges between public research and companies in order to stimulate the emergence of collaborative projects and support the adoption of responsible artificial intelligence solutions.
Territorial actors wishing to explore collaboration opportunities, identify expertise, or initiate a project with academic research can contact the partnership engineers of the cluster’s innovation section, who will guide them towards the most suitable resources and initiatives for their needs.
