Building pan-European bridges, Confederation of Laboratories for Artificial Intelligence Research in Europe (CLAIRE) is celebrating its reach across Europe by launching four new offices in Zurich, Oslo, Paris and Brussels in a month long Office Opening Roadshow beginning on May 26 to strengthen the CLAIRE Vision of inclusive and co-creative collaboration for responsible AI research and education all across Europe. The offices will complement the 4 existing offices in The Hague, Saarbrucken, Rome and Prague.

AI is increasingly present in all aspects of academia, industry and daily life, which is why all stakeholders need to take part in the way the field is being framed. AI technologies will also have a global impact on societies. Thus, an international and European approach to AI is  thus needed. 

To promote this approach nationally and internationally, we are thrilled to announce the official opening of the Belgian CLAIRE Office – Brussels, Friday, June 25th , 2021.

Join us as we launch our CLAIRE office in Brussels and celebrate the achievements of the AI community in Belgium. The theme for the launch is “AI Innovation Strategy / Public Policy Making”, and we have invited representatives and actors from Belgium and the neighboring countries Netherlands and France, to present the state of AI Innovation Strategy Plans, collaboration across borders, collaboration between academia and industry, and how the EU Innovation Policy (e.g. launch of the EU Regulatory framework on AI) can contribute to a common European Strategy.

Please join the launching event on AI Innovation Strategy / Public Policy Making from 3:00–5:00 pm on June 25th 2021. 

Speakers:  Federal State Secretary Mathieu Michel, Sabine Demey (imec – BE); Marloes Pomp (Dutch AI Alliance – NL); prof. Benoit Macq (UCLouvain – BE); prof. Sébastien Konieczny (CNRS – France), prof. Hugues Bersini (ULB – BE), prof. Holger Hoos (CLAIRE); prof. Peggy Valcke – (CAHAI / KULeuven – BE); Nathanael Ackerman (AI4Belgium) and many more!;

Programme:

• 15.00 – 15.10: Welcome

Mr. Mathieu Michel – Federal State Secretary for Digitization, in charge of Administrative Simplification, Privacy, Digital Agenda

• 15.10 – 16.10:  Session 1: Status Regional and National AI Innovation Plans + feedback AI Regulatory Framework by the EC proposal and how it impacts the local innovation plans

Moderator: Hans De Canck: FARI – AI for the Common Good Institute Brussels’

• • Flanders: Sabine Demey (imec): director Flemish AI Research. Program
  • The Netherlands: Marloes Pomp (NL AI Coalition): International Strategy & Relations
  • Wallonia: prof. Benoit Macq (UCLouvain): Lead Scientist TRAIL.AC
  • France: Prof. Sébastien Konieczny, lead of the CNRS – National Research Group on AI
  • Brussels: prof Hugues Bersini (ULB)
  • Amsterdam: Anita Nijboer: Amsterdam coalition – AI Technology for People
• 16.10 – 16.40:  Session 2: EU Panel discussion – reaction to session 1 and way forward

Moderator: Rosanna Fanni – CEPS Brussels

• • Prof. Holger Hoos – CLAIRE lead
  • Prof. Peggy Valcke – CAHAI / KULeuven
  • EC DG CONNECT – Juha Heikkila​​ – Head of Unit A1: Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Excellence
  • Member of the European Parliament – ​​Leitão Marques
  • Nathanael Ackerman – AI4Belgium General Manager

• 16.40 – 17.00:  Networking in Gathertown

• • Virtual Network platform to meet the speakers & CLAIRE leadership

Format:

Online celebration with networking area in digital showrooms