Erasmus Centre for Data Analytics Fund is officially launched! 
Yesterday, we celebrated the launch of the ECDA Fund under the Erasmus Trustfonds with an inspiring evening of insightful discussions on AI and its impact on society, alongside industry leaders and EUR alumni. The ECDA Fund will enable us to advance our mission of promoting the responsible, sustainable, and impactful use of AI through human-centered research, education, and innovation projects.
A big thank you to Erwin Eekelaar, the Director at RDevelopment, who announced the first 3-year donation, emphasizing the crucial role businesses play in supporting AI innovation:
‘The developments in the field of AI are progressing at a rapid pace and have experienced a tremendous acceleration this year due to geopolitical developments. With its expertise, ECDA plays a crucial role in creating an innovation ecosystem around artificial intelligence for organizations and the region. Therefore, it is of great importance that the business community supports ECDA in its growth strategy!’
Together with our partners, we strive for a positive impact of AI. We believe that data, algorithms, and AI, when applied ethically, transparently, and with a human-centered approach, serve as powerful tools for accelerating societal transitions.
The evening began with a warm welcome from Gerrit Schipper, Chair of the ECDA Advisory Board, and Ellen van Schoten, Vice President of the Executive Board at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
‘Successful innovation demands not only technological expertise but also a diverse array of perspectives, which we have within our university. ECDA takes on a pioneering role in facilitating interdisciplinary projects and solutions that blend strong technical methodologies with a profound societal context. This approach leverages the expertise available at EUR across fields such as law, sociology, the arts, business administration, economics, data science, econometrics, and healthcare’ – Ellen van Schoten.
Our Executive Director of ECDA, Marcel van Oosterhout, introduced the center’s vision and its role in fostering AI-driven innovation.
Next, Prof. of Socially-Intelligent AI at University of Amsterdam, Sennay Ghebreab presented the current Generative AI landscape, covering its geopolitical context, challenges and opportunities. Dr. Robert Rooderkerk, Associate Professor of Operations Management at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, explored the practical adoption of Generative AI in organizations, discussing its role in the customer journey and the key preconditions for optimizing its use. After each talk the plenary reflections were led by the Professor of Information Management and Markets at Rotterdam School of Management, Eric van Heck.
A special thank you to our ECDA Advisory Board Members: Marguerite Soeteman-Reijnen, George Westerkamp, Annerie Vreugdenhil, Elly de Vrijer, Ed Brinksma, and Gerrit Schipper for making this evening so special.
