Did you celebrate and reflect with us at the ECDA Community Christmas Drinks? 🎄
This week, we gathered at the Erasmus Data Collaboratory at Erasmus University Rotterdam, for our final event of the year. It was an incredible evening filled with insights, networking, and festive cheers!
Together with our Executive Director Marcel van Oosterhout we reflected on this year’s community milestones, like the opening of the Immersive Xperience Lab, the launch of the Expert Practice Digital Culture, Art, and AI, and the special 5th Anniversary edition of the Erasmus Data Summit. We were also honored to host visits to our Immersive Xperience Lab, like a high-level working visit with representatives of the Dutch Government and the European Commission, as part of the first Enhanced Dialogue between the EU and the Netherlands dedicated to the topic of excellence, impact, strategic choices, and R&I-ecosystems. (Annelien Bredenoord, Meri Georgievska-Van de Laar).
The evening featured talks by inspiring experts like Maarten Reijgersberg, Founder of RAUWcc, Aurélie Lemmens, Professor of Customer Analytics at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, and Academic Director at ECDA, and Sabrina Siregar, Cardio-thoracic surgeon at Erasmus MC.
💡 Some highlights:
– Maarten Reijgersberg introduced us to Esther Olofsson, his digital colleague, showcasing how AI-driven virtual brand ambassadors, with their own unique stories, personalities, and social media, could transform the future of branding, and both the communication with employees and customers.
– Aurélie Lemmens emphasized the importance of fairness in data analytics and challenged the statement “the more data, the better,” highlighting risks such as algorithmic bias and discrimination. We discussed that the chosen definition of fairness plays an important role.
– Sabrina Siregar shared how immersive technologies are revolutionizing cardio-thoracic surgeries, from transforming 2D CT scans into 3D models and using augmented reality combined with AI for surgical planning and guidance during the procedures in the operating rooms (Surgical Reality). We also reflected on the possibility of XR to aid communication with patients by offering visual insights to reduce their anxiety.
Later, our guests explored our Immersive Xperience Lab, diving into VR activities like mini-golf and a game around Christmas classics, all with a touch of Holiday spirit. Even Digiderius Erasmus joined the festivities dressed up for the occasion! Thank you Reblika Labs.
As we close the year, we thank everyone who joined us, shared their ideas, and celebrated with our data, AI, and immersive tech-driven community. We also want to thank everyone who collaborated with us this past year, and we look forward to advancing the use of data, AI, and immersive tech in a human-centered and responsible way together.
Let’s continue to push boundaries, foster innovative collaborations, and drive societal impact in 2025! 🚀
