Last week, ECDA had the pleasure of welcoming guests from Voka – Vlaams netwerk van ondernemingen, the largest entrepreneurship network in Flanders, for an inspiring visit to the Erasmus Data Collaboratory | House of AI, including the Immersive Xperience Lab at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Together, we explored how data and AI can drive innovation, strengthen collaboration, and contribute to positive societal impact.
After a warm welcome by our Executive Director, Marcel van Oosterhout, Ken van Ierlant, Data Strategy Thought Leader, shared his vision for Digital Transformation 4.0 and introduced our new Holistisch Leiderschapsprogramma | Innovatie & Transformatie met Data en AI. The program officially kicks off in December this year.
Jos van Dongen, Director of the Erasmus Data Collaboratory (EDC), then introduced the EDC and presented the newly launched EnergySHR platform. This platform enables the sharing of energy-related datasets, algorithms, and models to support collaboration between academia and external stakeholders, with the goal of accelerating research and driving innovation in the energy sector.
Frederike Manders, our Immersive Tech Program Manager, followed with an exploration of immersive technologies and their applications across sectors, presenting several ongoing immersive innovation projects.
The visit concluded with hands-on demonstrations in the Immersive Xperience Lab, where visitors experienced the application of immersive technologies through demos in areas such as:
- Urban planning
- Climate resilience
- Digital human interaction
- Smart campus development
These served as powerful and inspiring examples of the transformative potential of XR and AI.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this inspiring session. We look forward to continuing to build bridges between academia, industry, and society in the Netherlands and Vlaanderen — and we warmly invite changemakers to join our new leadership program!
Please reach out to us if you would like to collaborate with our Immersive Xperience Lab or our Data Lab teams.
For more information on the Holistisch Leiderschapsprogramma | Innovatie & Transformatie met Data en AI, please contact Caroline Holtgrefe, Chief Community Officer of the program, or follow the link in the comments below.
