With Art-IE, Artificial Intelligence Inspiration and Innovation, we are focusing on digital innovation and collaboration for and with SMEs, two significant innovation barriers in the Border Region. We are concentrating on Artificial Intelligence, the core of many innovative digital developments, with a focus on the following three themes: Federated Machine Learning, Robotics & AI, and Applied AI.
About the project
Interreg Art-IE is a cross-border innovation project that helps SMEs in the Flanders-Netherlands region take the step towards digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI). Many companies in this region have little experience with AI applications, while the possibilities are enormous. Art-IE aims to bridge this gap by connecting knowledge institutions and companies in accessible collaborative projects. The project runs from September 2023 to August 2026 and is co-funded by Interreg Flanders-Netherlands.
Within Art-IE, three AI labs will be established, each with its own specialisation. Together, these labs will form a virtual network where knowledge sharing, co-creation, and experimentation are central. Companies can participate in open lab days, theme sessions, and strategic projects, or submit their own innovation challenge for collaboration with one of the labs.
The three AI labs
Applied AI Lab
The Applied AI Lab is a collaboration between Avans and Howest. It focuses on practical AI applications in business processes. Think of image recognition, quality control, and process optimisation. Companies can experiment here with real and fictional cases and familiarise themselves with best practices in data, infrastructure, and frameworks.
Federated Machine Learning Lab
This lab is run by Fontys and Odisee and is located in Eindhoven and Ghent. It focuses on privacy-friendly AI, where data does not need to be stored centrally. Companies learn here how they can apply AI without sharing sensitive information, and how they can implement federated learning in their own context.
AI Robotica Lab
The AI Robotics Lab is a collaboration between Avans, Breda Robotics, and VIVES. The physical labs are located in Breda and Kortrijk and will open in January 2025. Here, everything revolves around the integration of AI with robotics. Companies can get acquainted with the latest hardware and software, experiment with setups, and collaborate on applications such as detecting, inspecting, counting, and interpreting the environment.
For businesses
Art-IE offers companies various forms of support. They can take part in open lab days, Art-IE talks, themed days and events. In addition, there are two forms of collaboration available: a short-term innovation programme worth €22,000 (with no financial contribution required) or a larger-scale project of up to €100,000, for which 50% is subsidised by Interreg. Conditions include that the company is based in the programme area and has an innovation challenge relating to digitalisation for which AI can provide a solution.
Discover the programme
“With Art-IE, we bring knowledge and practice together. By leveraging the power of partner knowledge institutions, we help SMEs not only understand AI, but more importantly, to implement it to take steps towards smart, future-oriented applications.”
Marvin van Diemen – Project Manager Breda Robotics
Projects • Interreg Art-IE
