Advancing
AI research
through smart teaming
and focused resources

About

The main objective of the lorAI project is to upgrade the Kempelen Institute of Intelligent Technologies (KInIT) to a leading R&I institution in low resource artificial intelligence (LRAI) in Slovakia and Europe. The lorAI consortium has been carefully crafted to “team” premier European AI research institutes, with different organizational models and budget structure, and unique national experience and history – ADAPT (Ireland), DFKI (Germany) and CERTH (Greece).

lorAI fully addresses the Teaming for Excellence call and its expected outcomes and impacts. The core of lorAI’s impact stands on three pillars:

Nurturing talent and personal capacities

Pursuing research excellence in low resource AI (LRAI)

Innovation and technology transfer with elaborated outreach programmes

Cross-cutting themes support the strategic position of the CoE combining advanced partners’ experience from different countries, articulating the interdisciplinary research across all relevant sectors, and guaranteeing the long-term sustainability of the CoE.

LRAI represents a global research challenge yet is also relevant to the EU region by developing efficient AI operating with limited resources to increase AI availability (for society and industry) and environmental sustainability. Despite tackling the low complexity and computational costs of AI, Centre of Excellence will explore AI applications for the NLP and Green environment (i.e., domains of energy usage optimization, anomaly detection).

Objectives

Increase R&I capacities and competences of KInIT.

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Multiple activities will significantly increase capacities of the CoE and later of the wider community. High profile candidates from abroad will be attracted (in conjunction with acquisition of prestigious grants). Research Areas of the CoE will combine cutting edge, interdisciplinary AI research with high socioeconomic topics and impact. The CoE will offer training in research excellence, efficient research management, and talent engagement.

Pursue new research strands and frontier research in low resource AI.

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The exploration of new topics will be encouraged under CoE’s research (incl. Pilot research project), stressing interdisciplinarity, exploitation, and practical impact. LRAI in itself is a potent source of new topics. CoE will be advised by scientific and industry representatives to assess the research focus of the CoE.

Upgrade and integrate R&I processes and services of CoE.

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With a holistic oversight and sustainability in mind, lorAI will maximise the reuse and transfer of CoE’s assets and reach of opportunities within the R&I ecosystem. New CoE projects will seek synergy with existing ones, as will the training activities. Attention will be paid to the uptake of advanced technologies and knowledge transfer, unlocking the commercialization potential, and strengthening the sustainability of the CoE.

Increase competitive funding acquisition capacity and know-how of CoE and Slovakia’s AI R&I community.

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CoE personnel will be trained in funding acquisition and management. The CoE will seek and support candidates for various grants to boost the poor performance of Slovakia in the different schemes. The CoE will actively network Slovak AI researchers with international partners for grant preparation, knowledge transfer and excellent research.

Expand and deepen R&I culture and stimulate reforms in Slovakia.

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The CoE will act as a role-model for other institutions, integrate best practices of R&I management from advanced partners and project these onward to Slovak R&I players. The CoE will advise on strategies, reforms, and legislation (national and EU). It will showcase best research practices, qualitative research management, and culture of openness and transparency.

Establish mutually beneficial international collaborations of CoE and Slovak R&I with the international AI community and advanced partners.

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Enhance synergies with European networks and initiatives. Advanced partners will gain access to talent circulation and mobility opportunities; benefit from networking, brand awareness, and access to Slovak R&I players; and improve their own R&I processes, inspired by KInIT’s upgrades. lorAI will draw in other Slovak R&I players. The CoE will leverage involvement in AI collaboration networks and projects across Europe.

Timeline

Kempelen Institute of Intelligent Technologies (KInIT) is an independent, non-profit research institute focusing on supporting scientific excellence by bridging the industry and academia. KInIT has repeatedly proven its excellence and potential. KInIT focuses on topics relevant for the region, with strong support from the private sector, and inspired by similar institutes abroad. In 4 years of its existence, it has tripled its staff, acquired funding from 9 Horizon Europe projects (2 as coordinator), 3 Digital Europe projects, 5+ international and 10+ national projects. It engaged with industry collaboration with 20+ industry partners and established project contacts with 90+ partners in 25 European countries. Acknowledged by the Slovak government, KInIT is gaining recognition for being a new institutional model for R&I in Slovakia, demonstrating alignment to the Slovak and European strategies.

Centre for Digital Content Technology (ADAPT) hosted by Trinity College Dublin, is the world leading SFI Research Centre for AI Driven Digital Content Technology. It brings together 400+ leading academics, researchers, and industry partners, hosted 80+ ERC grants. ADAPT’s Research Development Unit has extensive experience in research funding acquisition and project lifecycle having won over €50M in competitively awarded funding since 2015, and been partner/coordinator in almost 100 EU projects

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The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) is Germany’s leading R&I institution in the field of innovative technologies based on AI methods. It is the largest research centre worldwide in AI both in terms of employees and externally acquired funding. The DFKI’s legal form is a non-profit public-private partnership (PPP), which is internationally recognized as a blueprint for research corporate structure. It is currently running 500+ nationally and internationally funded projects with both academic and industrial partners.

The Centre for Research & Technology, Hellas (CERTH), is one of the largest Greek research centres and among the Top-20 EU’s Research Centres in attracting HE funds. CERTH will share its extensive know-how in EU research grants acquisition (800+), its prominent experience in delivering impact through technology transfer and dissemination activities, as well as the unique Smart home infrastructure. CERTH combines its unique research facilities and highly qualified research personnel, to transform scientific knowledge into innovative technological applications, aiming to strengthen the national economy and respond to the needs of society at national and international level.

Strategy and Executive boards

Mária Bieliková

Lead and Researcher, Director General

at KInIT

Michal Kompan

Chief Research Officer

at KInIT

Jakub Šimko

Lead and Researcher

at KInIT

Owen Conlan

Strand Leader

at ADAPT

Eva Power

Programme manager

at ADAPT

Simon Ostermann

Project Coordination, Researcher

at DFKI

Stefania Racioppa

Project Coordination, Communication

at DFKI

Symeon Papadopoulos

Researcher, Principal Investigator

at CERTH

George Karantaidis

Project Manager

at CERTH