August 08, 2024, by Reik Leiterer, data innovation alliance
In open innovation, creating a safe space to share knowledge and ideas is vital for successful co-creation. This entails establishing a legal framework for open innovation by creating policies and guidelines that foster collaboration, protect intellectual property (IP) rights, ensure fair use, and maintain compliance with relevant laws. The following video explains how to enable a trust-building setting with rules of participation for an open innovation program and for collaborating teams.
In the frame of Intellectual Property Management, create and/or follow guidelines on the ownership and sharing of IP created through open innovation, including e.g. joint ownership, licensing agreements, or IP transfer policies. Create understanding on how patents and trademarks will be handled, including the set-up of agreements on filing and maintaining IP protection. If necessary, use non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to protect sensitive information shared during collaboration.
With regard to compliance with laws and regulations, be aware of data protection laws (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) when handling personal or sensitive data, comply with export control regulations that may affect the sharing of technology or information across borders, and avoid anti-competitive practices by ensuring that collaboration does not lead to market monopolization or unfair trade practices. May be consider using Creative Commons and open source licenses (e.g., MIT, GPL) to facilitate and ensure legal sharing, contribution and reuse of creative works.
We always recommend establishing ethical guidelines to ensure that innovations are developed and used responsibly. In addition, the incorporation of sustainability criteria into the innovation process could be something to think about to promote environmentally and socially responsible practices.
May 15, 2024, by Reik Leiterer, data innovation alliance
On May 15th, the GEOSummit conference took place in Olten as the key event in the geo community. The following is a nice wrap-up from the perspective of the program committee and the GEOSummit office.
We live in a time of complex global challenges. This requires a coordinated and data-based approach. The use of geospatial data to improve decision-making processes has gained significant importance in recent years to identify spatial relationships and patterns. From businesses to government agencies and non-profit organizations, more and more stakeholders are relying on geospatial data to make informed decisions. This includes optimizing public infrastructure, assessing environmental impacts and planning emergency response.
And the relevance of thematic was impressively demonstrated by the interest in this conference: the GEOSummit 2024 was fully booked weeks before the registration deadline – and it became clear that early registration had paid off, as visitors rated the congress and trade fair as very good in the final survey.
The keynote speech by the former NASA research director Thomas Zurbuchen was particularly inspiring. He used specific examples to show how important Earth sciences are and that around 3 billion of NASA’s 8 billion budget was used for Earth observation. In his opinion, the major challenges facing our society can only be solved with sufficient data. For example, up-to-date and precise measurement data is essential for the training and validation of climate models. In the panel discussion with Pol Budmiger, Head of the GEOSummit program committee, he spoke about innovation, talent development and entrepreneurship in his inspiring way, alongside impressive space missions. Making a difference requires not only ideas but also courage, perseverance, tenacity and, in some cases, luck.
With a total of 12 lecture blocks, the event offered a comprehensive look at the diverse opportunities and challenges of integrating geodata into decision-making processes. Current developments in geodata processing and analysis were also discussed, including the role of the latest technologies in the field of satellite data, real-time data and artificial intelligence. Many GIS trends (http://gistrends.ch) were explained using specific examples. These innovations enable a more comprehensive and timely analysis of geodata, which forms the basis for effective decision-making. Artificial intelligence and the processing of rapidly growing volumes of geodata, pose challenges for our industry. But we can only create added value if we deal with these issues at an early stage, educate ourselves in these topics and have the courage to try out new things. If we close our minds to these changes or delay them, we run the risk of being left behind. According to Zurbuchen, we need to combine the strengths of the public and private sectors and make use of the knowledge of new talent, as Switzerland has one of the best education systems in the world. Despite the many benefits of geospatial data, there are also challenges to overcome, including data protection issues and ethical considerations. A balanced and responsible use of geodata in decision-making processes is crucial.
Overall, the participants were inspired by the GEOSummit and would like to see more information and exchange inter alia on the following topics at future webinars and for a GEOSummit 2026:
Open Data, OSM, OGD – Mobile Mapping
BIM – Data Literacy
Kubernetes – Mobility
At the closing event, Pol Budmiger called on the congress participants to get involved in professional associations, educational and training institutions and the GEOSummit as a showcase and communication platform for the geospatial sector: If you want to help shape things, you can make a big difference! If you would like to join forces with colleagues to promote the geospatial industry, please contact info@geosummit.ch.
More than 300 visitors enjoyed networking in the exhibition zone and for many, the closing beer lasted longer than the two hours planned. For sure, many ideas emerged from the discussions which, with a little courage, will lead to real innovations for the geo industries. And may be with this, you could say in future with full conviction: “Better decisions with geodata!”
March 26, 2024, by Milena Perraudin, data innovation alliance
The Expert Day on March 19, 2024 was held for the first time at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) in Brugg-Windisch. Welcoming over 40 participants, the event enfolded plenty of opportunities for engagement within the three Expert Groups: ‘Smart Maintenance’, ‘AI in Finance & Insurance’, and ‘Spatial Data’ as well as the Expert Group in planning ‘Governance for Growth with Data & AI’. For those interested in joining the latter group, please contact us at info.office@data-innovation.org.
The event started with two thought-provoking keynotes. The first ‘Eyes on Human-Data Interaction’ by Prof. Dr. Arzu Çöltekin, FHNW, highlighted how eye movement tracking can enhance human-computer interactions, emphasizing the importance of designing data-based products with the end user in mind. The second keynote, ‘Lessons learned on scaling after 1 year of GenAI’, by Dr. Marcin Pietrzyk, co-founder and CEO of Unit8, shed light on the significance of GenAI and its mostly underused potential in realizing value in production at scale. A fact that the data innovation alliance wants to address together with the Innovation Boosters Artificial Intelligence and Databooster, powered by Innosuisse.
Following the keynotes, participants engaged in four breakout sessions, each focusing on a specific topic. The following paragraphs will give you a short insight into the different breakout sessions.
Workshop ‘The Future of Financial Data Analytics’ by Expert Group AI in Finance & Insurance
The Expert Group meeting jointly organized by Marc Vendramet, Andreas Blum from Unit8, and Branka Hadji Misheva from BFH, delved into two primary topics. Firstly, it offered a comprehensive exploration of AI & analytics use cases within the finance sector. Secondly, it involved brainstorming on the group’s focus areas for the upcoming year, including discussions on new event formats and collaborations.
Highlights were talks by Nicole Königstein of Wyden Capital, who shared insights on financial times series prediction in the age of transformers, and Guillaume Raille from Unit8, who presented various examples of LLMs’ use beyond chatbots, along with a detailed discussion on the challenges and opportunities associated with applying advanced LLM technologies to real-world cases.
Workshop Governance for Growth with Data & AI
Participants of this workshop gathered to delve into the full spectrum of Governance and Growth theme, as well as the opportunities with Data & AI. Frank Seifert, from adesso Schweiz AG, introduced a comprehensive management model for Governance, while Dr. Omran Ayob, from SUPSI, delved deep into the critical aspect of explainability in data governance. Participants engaged in lively discussions about the challenge of achieving higher data or model transparency (Explainability) while avoiding privacy issues.
The tension between the desire for a minimum level of governance and the need to work simply and leverage Data & AI opportunities became apparent. On one hand, holistic approaches are necessary, but on the other hand, there is a need for concrete, easily implementable measures. It’s precisely this tension that makes the topic so intriguing.
The group will continue working in this area by examining various layers of the topic, especially legal, technical, and ethical aspects, and developing Governance approaches and impulses for Growth opportunities. Our current vision includes guidelines and processes on one hand, and concrete tips and tools on the other.
Workshop ‘Hybrid approaches to intelligent maintenance’ by Expert Group Smart Maintenance
First, Dr. Kai Hencken from ABB corporate research started with an overview of predictive maintenance strategies at ABB, emphasizing the utility of traditional statistical reliability models in addressing data scarcity challenges.
After, an open discussion among participants followed, exploring potential use cases for AI integration with domain knowledge in their respective companies. Examples included condition monitoring of trains and digital twins for gas turbines. Technical solutions such as few-shot learning and the role of LLMs and generative AI in advancing condition-based and predictive maintenance were also examined.
The day concluded with an Apéro, fostering further discussions about innovative ideas among participants. We are already looking forward to the next event, as we are convinced that together we move faster.
January 1, 2024, by Reik Leiterer, data innovation alliance
Switzerland, known for its commitment to innovation, is poised to harness the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The data innovation alliance is at the forefront of this revolution with the launch of the Innovation Booster Artificial Intelligence, reinforcing Switzerland’s position as an innovation leader.
In the era of advanced AI models like ChatGPT, businesses often find themselves grappling with the vast technological possibilities while lacking the necessary expertise to implement AI in the workplace. Conversely, academics possess technical knowledge but often lack the support to turn their research into practical applications.
Recognizing these challenges, the data innovation alliance serves as a bridge between innovation-seeking companies and university researchers. This NGO network facilitates collaboration, pooling knowledge from diverse fields to develop marketable products and services for the Swiss economy. By assembling modular, project-based teams, the alliance fosters innovation nationwide through data-projects, with Innovation Booster programs offering project-workshops and a funding guide.
The Innovation Booster “Artificial Intelligence”, powered by Innosuisse, embraces radical thinking to address society’s pressing challenges, such as globalization, digitalization, and environmental shifts. It cultivates open, collaborative responses that leverage AI to solve these problems.
What sets the Innovation Booster Artificial Intelligence apart is its practical approach. As an expert open-community initiative, it taps into the expertise of over 600 specialists from both industry and academia in the AI field. This program is inclusive, welcoming participation from all sectors of Switzerland’s innovation community by identifying promising opportunities and seamlessly integrating resources. Its targeted initiatives bridge the gap between visionary ideas and tangible outcomes.
With the launch of the Innovation Booster Artificial Intelligence, the data innovation alliance actively promotes innovation driven by socially and economically viable AI, benefiting Switzerland and propelling it into the future of innovation.
About Innovation Boosters:
Innovation Boosters are a community with an open innovation culture in which key players work together with agile and user-centric methods to explore problems and develop sustainable new ideas for radical solutions collaboratively. In doing so, they give Swiss companies and organisations a competitive advantage and create important added value for the Swiss economy and society.
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