On 23 May SustAIn.brussels was launched. Brussels-based organisations with ambitions to bring their organisation digitally and sustainably up to innovation speed can from this day forward turn to EDIH. The European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) serves as a single point of access to sustainable and digital innovation in Brussels, with a focus on AI and other emerging technologies.
Brussels consists of 99.7% 'SMEs' and has a high concentration of digital and service-oriented companies. Digital technology is the main driver of innovation. Yet these companies perform slightly below the European average in terms of using artificial intelligence and rank third in terms of using ICT for environmental sustainability.
This specific context gave birth to sustAIn.Brussels, the unique gateway to digital and sustainable innovation in Brussels, supported by AI and other emerging technologies. It uses frameworks such as Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to facilitate the responsible adoption of AI, data and robotics. It promotes human-centric, robust and secure digital solutions so that they benefit society as a whole.
From intake to advice
Successfully applying digital technology to make an organisation future proof is not self-evident. How do you choose and test technological solutions? What skills and training do you need to acquire? What kind of investments are needed and where do you find them? How do you set up local and international partnerships with public and private players? How do you do all this in a sustainable and positive manner for society and the environment? SustAIn.brussels gives organisations access to its extensive expertise and partner network to answer these questions.
An intake meeting will show where companies, small or large, for-profit and non-profit, are in their digital journey. Coaches then help them further or connect them with a third party with the necessary expertise. The coaching is free for SMEs and midcaps meaning companies up to a maximum of 3,000 employees. The service is available in French, Dutch and English.
One-stop-shop
SustAIn.brussels is one of the 150 European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH). The hubs are intended to function as a 'one-stop-shop' to help companies and public actors with their digital challenges so as to boost their competitiveness. Six European Digital Innovation Hubs are now active in Belgium: SustAIn.brussels, Flanders AI, Walhub, DIGITALIS, EDIH-CONNECT and EDIH-EBE. Each hub has its own thematic focus that responds to the needs of companies in the region it supports. SustAIn.brussels focuses on sustainable digital transformation through AI, data and robotics and other emerging technologies.
The Brussels hub was set up with the support of the European Commission, Innoviris and hub.brussels. Coordination is provided by Sirris, Agoria, BeCentral, VUB and ULB.
Together with Agoria, Sirris is active in four of the six EDIHs.
You can read the comments from the partners in the press release.
