On 25 October, Siemens and the ELA AI Triangle (RWTH Aachen University, KU Leuven and TU Eindhoven) welcomed experts, researchers and partners to join the annual Siemens Research and Innovation Ecosystem Aachen Arc Conference.
Within the new AI partnership of the tri-border region of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, this year’s topic “Transferring AI into actions - Accelerate the EU AI industrial valorization” addressed the vision for accelerating the EU’s industrial AI growth. The conference provided over 160 attendees with a unique platform to discuss how cutting-edge research can be translated into tangible industrial applications.
A warm welcome to Leuven and thought-provoking keynotes
The conference began with the opening remarks “600 Years KU Leuven: From Artes to AI” by Prof. Dr. Luc De Raedt (Director of Leuven.AI at KU Leuven) and Prof. Dr. Gerard Govers (Vice Rector of Science, Engineering and Technology Group at KU Leuven), who traced KU Leuven’s historical contributions and future ambitions within AI research. Following this, Dr. Peter Körte (Member of the Managing Board, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Strategy Officer at Siemens AG) presented in his keynote “The return of the simple: Transforming industry through AI”, AI's impact on the industrial world. AI needs to be secure, reliable and trustworthy. Siemens invests heavily in R&D to explore where AI applications make sense, and connects with partners around the world to advance this complex technology. Dr. Peter Körte called for more impactful initiatives in this space that go beyond fragmented, individual approaches in order to strengthen Europe’s AI strategy.
Followed this motto call, the members of the ELA AI Triangle (EAISI – Eindhoven Artificial Intelligence Systems Institute, Leuven.AI, RWTH Center for Artificial Intelligence) not only presented their individual expertise but also set an example of how to bundle competences for greater impact.
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Trimpe (Co-Chair Board of Directors AI Center and Chair of Data Science in Mechanical Engineering at RWTH) introduced the RWTH Center for Artificial Intelligence and presented fundamental research examples as well as practical implementations in machines. He demonstrated how AI supports safe learning to estimate and control risk that can be transferred to application for autonomous driving.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gijs Dubbelman (Head of Mobile Perception Systems lab at TU Eindhoven) introduced the EAISI – Eindhoven Artificial Intelligence Systems Institute and its core competencies with machine learning & date science, humans & ethics and engineering systems.
The last keynote by Dr. Sabine Demey (Director Flanders AI Research Program at imec) summarized how AI can drive sustainability from multiple dimensions – economic, social, and environmental. To realize this, she emphasized creating resilience in the complete AI value chain in Europe and providing affordable access to trustworthy and resource-efficient AI.
Deep Dives into AI applications
After the keynotes, the program shifted to application-focused deep dive sessions. Starting with generative models and forecasting, academic and industry leaders shared insights across three topics:
Product Engineering by Prof. Dr. Frank Naets (KUL), Dr. Steffen Lamparter (Siemens), Dr. Behrang Ashtari (Siemens Healthineers), Filipp Rosinski (Siemens Healthineers): Presentations covered co-pilots and foundation models in industry, trends and challenges in generative design and AI-powered decision support for engineers.
Manufacturing by Prof. Dr. Sebastian Trimpe (RWTH), Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Gryllias (KUL), Prof. Dr. Ivo Adan (TU/e), Daniel Regulin (Siemens): Discussions focused on the potential of shallow and deep machine learning in manufacturing, potentials of AI methods for machine and process monitoring, human-centered AI in machining with various AI application examples.
Smart Grids by Prof. Dr. Bart De Moor (KUL), Prof. Dr. Antonello Monti (RWTH), Prof. Dr. Phuong Nguyen (TU/e), Nikolai Demydov (Siemens): Exchange covered data science and machine learning applications in smart grids, the data challenges in the energy domain, AI-driven applications for distribution system operations, and the importance of AI-driven insights for grid safety.
Followed by deep dives on computer vision and machine learning, experts highlighted key applications across additional research areas:
Product Engineering by Prof. Dr. Mathias Verbeke (KUL), Prof. Dr. Jun Wu (TU Delft), Dr. Dirk Hartmann (Siemens): Experts discussed leveraging machine learning to speed up product design and engineering, covering challenges and opportunities as well as a generative human-centered design approach in sustainable design engineering.
Quality Assurance by Prof. Dr. Toon Goedemé (KUL), Dr. Katrien Wyckaert (Siemens), Matthieu Worm (Siemens), Dr. Florian Bohne (inpro): Talks focused on using computer vision for AI-powered quality control and inspection as well as for the training of computer vision systems in predictive engineering, enhancing robotics with data-driven computer vision and AI-driven virtual sensors and data automation.
Autonomous Systems by Prof. Dr. Bastian Leibe (RWTH), Prof. Dr. Gijs Dubbelman (TU/e), Dr. Claus Bahlmann (Siemens): Presentations covered computer vision and AI for autonomous navigation and decision-making in rail systems, visual scene understanding from video and 3D LiDAR data and training robust vision models via unlabeled data.
The conference program was completed by two eye-opening lab tours offering attendees hands-on insights into cutting-edge AI applications in engineering. The first lab tour “AI & Mechatronic Systems” at the Department of Mechanical Engineering showcased developments in AI-driven mechanical engineering innovations. The second lab tour “AI Algorithms in Engineering Applications” at the Department of Computer Science focused on AI algorithms applied to real-world engineering challenges. Both tours allowed participants to explore practical AI applications in an academic and industry-relevant context.
Vivid networking and exchange on future collaborations in AI
Prof. Dr. Luc De Raedt and Dr. Peter Körte concluded the event with final remarks on the conference's main takeaways, reinforcing the importance of continued collaboration between academia and industry in advancing AI. Quoting Dr. Peter Körte, “Together, we can elevate Europe’s AI strategy by focusing on applications tailored to our strengths, with models that build on the foundations of our ecosystem.” He called on the importance of a dedicated European AI strategy and leveraging existing partnerships and resources such as the ELA AI Triangle. The event concluded with a networking reception and plenty of opportunities for the attendees to connect over shared interests and new insights gained from the conference day.
The Siemens RIE Aachen Arc team thanks all participants and speakers for the inspiring conference. If you would like to become part of the Siemens RIE Aachen Arc or get in touch with one of our speakers or panelists, feel free to reach out!
Yasemin Cilt, M.Sc.
Industry Relations Manager Head of Collective Incubator | Business Development
