CV Tag: ELLIS

  • ELLIS Distinguished Lecture Series: Jens Kober

    ELLIS Distinguished Lecture Series: Jens Kober

    About the talk:

    The acquisition and self-improvement of novel motor skills is among the most important problems in robotics. Complexity arises from interactions with their environment and humans, dealing with high-dimensional input data, non-linear dynamics in general and contacts in particular, multiple reference frames, and variability in objects, environments, tasks, and human behavior. A human teacher is always involved in the learning process, either directly (providing data) or indirectly (designing the optimization criterion), which raises the question: How to best make use of the interactions with the human teacher to render the learning process efficient and effective? In this talk I’ll argue that there are tremendous benefits in having a human teacher intermittently interact with a robot also while it is learning. I will discuss various methods we have developed in the fields of supervised learning, imitation learning, reinforcement learning, and interactive learning. All these concepts will be illustrated with benchmark tasks and real robot experiments ranging from fun (ball-in-a-cup) to more applied (retail environments).

    About Jens Kober:

    Jens Kober is an associate professor at the TU Delft, Netherlands and an ELLIS Fellow. He worked as a postdoctoral scholar jointly at the CoR-Lab, Bielefeld University, Germany and at the Honda Research Institute Europe, Germany. He graduated in 2012 with a PhD Degree in Engineering from TU Darmstadt and the MPI for Intelligent Systems. For his research he received the annually awarded Georges Giralt PhD Award for the best PhD thesis in robotics in Europe, the 2018 IEEE RAS Early Academic Career Award, the 2022 RSS Early Career Award, and has received an ERC Starting grant. His research interests include motor skill learning, (deep) reinforcement learning, imitation learning, interactive learning, and machine learning for control.

    When?

    March 5, 2025, 09:45 CET

    Where?

    Universitätsstraße 32, Room 101, Campus Vaihingen of the University of Stuttgart

    The talk will be followed by an informal reception during which finger food and drinks will be provided.

    Professor Kober will also be available for meetings. If you are interested in scheduling a meeting, please email ellis-office@uni-stuttgart.de.

  • Antonio Orvieto

    Dr. Antonio Orvieto

  • Cyber Valley celebrates the launch of ELLIS Institute Finland

    Cyber Valley celebrates the launch of ELLIS Institute Finland

    The new institute is part of the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS) – a pan-European AI research network that is an important player in the Cyber Valley Community. It will position Finland as a key player in AI, attract international talent, and drive cutting-edge research. This announcement marks a major step towards achieving Cyber Valley’s vision of a closely connected, pan-European AI research network, strengthening Europe’s global standing in AI and machine learning.

    The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture has pledged substantial financial backing, committing €10 million annually from 2025 to 2028, in addition to a launch-phase investment of €6 million. Further support comes from the Post Scriptum Foundation, established by Peter Sarlin, CEO and co-founder of Silo AI. Silo AI joined the Cyber Valley Community in June 2024 at Cyber Valley Days. The foundation has pledged an additional €10 million to fund up to 15 professorships at the ELLIS Institute Finland. 

    This ELLIS Institute, which will be based at Aalto University, is the second in the prestigious pan-European ELLIS network, following the establishment of the first institute in Tübingen, Germany, in 2023. Aalto University will lead the initiative in Finland, working collaboratively with other Finnish universities.

    The new institute will build on the achievements of the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence (FCAI), which currently hosts ELLIS Unit Helsinki—the Finnish node of ELLIS. Professor Samuel Kaski, director of FCAI and ELLIS Unit Helsinki, will play a central role in the development of ELLIS Institute Finland.

    This initiative underlines Finland’s commitment to becoming a major hub for AI research and innovation, leveraging its longstanding expertise to address both local and global challenges through AI-driven solutions.

    Cyber Valley is proud to support and collaborate with ELLIS Institute Finland. Together, we look forward to advancing European AI research, fostering collaborative innovation, and addressing global challenges through the power of intelligent systems. This marks a significant step in uniting Europe’s AI efforts, strengthening our shared goals and vision for a more connected, forward-thinking AI research ecosystem.

  • ELLIS PhD Program 2025: Call for Applications

    ELLIS PhD Program 2025: Call for Applications

    About the program

    The ELLIS PhD program is designed for outstanding students interested in conducting high-impact research in AI, machine learning, and related areas, including computer vision, robotics, and computational neuroscience.

    The program offers students the chance to work with leading researchers at top European academic institutions and industrial partners, while benefiting from the collaborative environment fostered by ELLIS. The program emphasizes both scientific excellence and ethical AI, encouraging students to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in AI development.

    How to apply? 

    Applications for the ELLIS PhD program opens in October and will be accepted until November 15, 2024, 23:59 CET. The application should be submitted via the ELLIS application portal. 

    Applicants are encouraged to carefully read the instructions and eligibility criteria available on the ELLIS website before submitting their application.

    Interested?

    For more detailed information, please visit the ELLIS PhD Program website. 

  • Excellence meets capital: Deep Tech & Investor Day brings AI start-ups and investors together

    Excellence meets capital: Deep Tech & Investor Day brings AI start-ups and investors together

    Stuttgart, June 20, 2024 – On the second day of the Cyber Valley Days, the Deep Tech & Investor Day is dedicated to the financing of AI companies. By fostering connections between start-ups and investors, Cyber Valley supports the development of Baden-Württemberg as a hub for technology transfer. It aims to bring decisive innovations in AI into application. One of the day’s highlights is the scientific symposium of the first ELLIS Institute in Tübingen. 


    Cyber Valley builds bridges between investors and entrepreneurs  

    “We don't just want to conduct outstanding research – we also want to put it into practice and thus help shape our future as a business location. With the Investor Day, we are connecting visionary ideas with the necessary capital to bring innovation into application,” says Rebecca C. Reisch, Managing Director of Cyber Valley GmbH.

    For investors, the day offers the opportunity to network with the most innovative AI start-ups with roots predominantly in the excellent research of the Cyber Valley Community and are looking for strategic partnerships for further development and market implementation.  

    “We started working with selected investors around five years ago. These included Atlantic Labs from Berlin, Grazia from Stuttgart and IT Farm from Tokyo. This has now resulted in a community of early-stage companies all the way through to companies that are becoming SMEs and hidden champions. They benefit from the close connection to our Cyber Valley Investor Network – and vice versa, more and more investors are also looking at our start-ups,” says Alex Diehl, Investor and Cyber Valley Senior Advisor. “We think that the number of start-ups will continue to grow in the future thanks to our AI Incubator. The quality is also increasing as a result of our growing international network.”

    Yann LeCun and other world-leading AI researchers visit Tübingen  

    One of the day’s highlights is the scientific symposium organized by the first ELLIS Institute in Tübingen, the new center for basic AI research. ELLIS stands for “European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems”, and the institute is the lighthouse project of the Europe-wide network for artificial intelligence. Internationally renowned AI experts such as Yann LeCun and Max Welling will provide an insight into the AI research of the future. “The ELLIS Institute will continue to advance modern AI in Tübingen, while being embedded in European values. We want to attract the best talent and build a special place together,” says Prof. Dr. Bernhard Schölkopf, Scientific Director of the ELLIS Institute.

    Cyber Valley Days are a three-day event in Stuttgart and Tübingen from June 19 to 21, 2024 to celebrate the Cyber Valley Community. The program focuses on entrepreneurship and scientific innovation in artificial intelligence and modern robotics from Baden-Württemberg. 

    Information about Cyber Valley Days

    cyber-valley.de/cyber-valley-days 

    About Cyber Valley 

    Cyber Valley is Europe’s largest and leading center for excellence in artificial intelligence and modern robotics. Its mission and public mandate are to advocate for the research, development, application, and acceptance of technologies and methods in the field of intelligent systems. Cyber Valley encourages entrepreneurship by uniting scientific excellence with innovation and technology transfer. In addition, Cyber Valley facilitates critical reflection on the ethical and social implications of AI through public engagement. Cyber Valley envisions a future in which the full potential of intelligent systems is leveraged for the greater good of the world.    

    About the ELLIS Institute Tübingen 

    The ELLIS Institute is set to become a world-renowned center for pioneering basic research in the field of artificial intelligence. The Institute aims to attract the world's best machine learning talent, providing them with outstanding conditions to conduct research in a state-of-the-art facility located in Tübingen, Germany. The vision is part of a broader initiative, the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS), which aims to build a pan-European institution for machine learning research.

    Media Contact 

    Rebecca Beiter  
    Rebecca.beiter@cyber-valley.de  
    +49 (0) 160 9448 1797

  • Almost 70 AI spin-offs: Cyber Valley’s Start-up Network continues to grow 

    Almost 70 AI spin-offs: Cyber Valley’s Start-up Network continues to grow 

    Stuttgart, 14. Juni 2024 – A unique community for start-ups in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged around the Cyber Valley. The Cyber Valley Start-up Network supports founders in the state to transfer AI research into applications. The model is extremely successful: many of its 67 start-ups to date have raised millions from international investors. At Cyber Valley Days, which is taking placefrom June 19 to 21, start-ups from the network will introduce themselves and present current AI trends. June 21 marks the beginning of a new phase of the Cyber Valley. During a ceremonial event, the first ELLIS Institute in Europe will be opened by Minister President Winfried Kretschmann and Science Minister Petra Olschowski. 

    “Start-ups are generators and drivers of innovation. They bring AI applications into society – from healthcare to mobility and agriculture,” said Science Minister Petra Olschowski on June 14 in Stuttgart. “Our Cyber Valley innovation campus offers founders optimal conditions: every month, three to five new start-ups join the network – including start-ups by AI researchers, but also existing new companies. With their innovative strength, these entrepreneurs are further strengthening Baden-Württemberg as a center of research and business. As the Ministry of Science, we helped to initiate the founding of Cyber Valley; and we will continue to support our AI innovation campus to the best of our ability in the future.” 

    Baden-Württemberg as the location for AI start-ups 

    “Artificial intelligence is complex and extremely fast-paced in its application. Those who want to start a business can develop their ideas wherever they find the best conditions – including an international and thematically diverse environment, access to computing power, and start-up capital. In other words, where the future is already being created, such as at the excellent science locations in Baden-Württemberg,” said Rebecca C. Reisch, Managing Director of Cyber Valley GmbH.  
     
    As a supplement to the Cyber Valley Start-up Network, the AI Incubator supports those interested in setting up a business in the Cyber Valley innovation campus environment. Over the course of eight weeks, participants learn how to expand their business models and successfully launch them on the market supported by experienced entrepreneurs and start-up coaches. The fourth cohort of 25 founders is currently going through the program. The AI Incubator is funded by the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung.  
     
    “AI will rapidly change the way we work, communicate, learn, or play – and Germany must be at the forefront of this change to maintain our quality of life. This change will be driven by innovative start-ups. Cyber Valley's mission is to create the basis for scientific breakthroughs and to support start-ups that will lead the AI future,” says Michael Black, spokesperson for Cyber Valley and Director at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Tübingen. 

     

    Millions invested in AI start-ups: three examples 

    Cyber Valley's AI start-ups are successful with investors:

    • In 2023, NEURA Robotics, a supplier of innovative cognitive robots, raised €65 million in two financing rounds.
    • The Esslingen-based start-up MARKT-PILOT developed a solution for dynamic and market-oriented spare parts pricing. To mark its fourth anniversary, the company announced one of the largest Series A financing rounds with 40 million euros.
    • Octomind, an AI-based end-to-end testing platform for development teams, recently received €4.8 million in seed capital. 

     

    Cyber Valley Days 2024: June 19 to 21 

    The network's almost 70 start-ups are active in a wide range of industries – including the healthcare sector, construction industry, in the field of mobility, and agriculture. This diversity will be highlighted at the Cyber Valley Days, a three-day event from June 19 to 21. The program focuses on entrepreneurship and scientific innovation in artificial intelligence and modern robotics. On Wednesday, June 19, start-ups and other members of the Cyber Valley Community will present in Stuttgart. Afterwards, the teams of the AI Incubator will pitch their AI business ideas to potential investors.   
     
    At the final on June 21, the new ELLIS Institute Tübingen of the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS) will be opened in the presence of Minister President Winfried Kretschmann and Science Minister Petra Olschowski. This first ELLIS institute in Europe will further strengthen the Cyber Valley innovation campus as an internationally visible beacon for research into artificial intelligence. The world's most talented AI researchers will be able to advance their ideas and developments in an optimal environment. The opening of the ELLIS Institute also marks the beginning of the next phase of the Cyber Valley Innovation Campus. 
     
    Cyber Valley is the country's first innovation campus, located in the Stuttgart/Tübingen region. Cyber Valley was launched in 2016 as a joint initiative of the state, science, and industry. Its aim is to put Baden-Württemberg at the forefront of AI. The innovation campus combines excellent basic research and practical application. The scientific backbone is formed by three academic founding partners: the Universities of Stuttgart and Tübingen and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems. There are also other established partners from business and research. 
      
     

    Information about Cyber Valley Days:  

    cyber-valley.de/cyber-valley-days 

    Registration

    for the Start-up Expo on Wednesday, June 19, at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart: shorturl.at/euuwd 
     
    Registration for media representatives for the ceremony and opening of ELLIS on Friday, June 21, via
    Rebecca Beiter, Director Communications & Society Cyber Valley GmbH
    0160/9448 1797
    Rebecca.beiter@cyber-valley.de 
     

    Further information 
     

    About Cyber Valley    

    Cyber Valley is Europe’s largest and leading center for excellence in artificial intelligence and modern robotics. Its mission and public mandate are to advocate for research, development, application, and acceptance of technologies and methods in the field of intelligent systems. Cyber Valley encourages entrepreneurship by uniting scientific excellence with innovation and technology transfer. In addition, Cyber Valley facilitates critical reflection on the ethical and social implications of AI through public engagement. Cyber Valley envisions a future in which the full potential of intelligent systems is leveraged for the greater good of the world.  

     

    About the Cyber Valley Start-up Network   

    The Cyber Valley Start-up Network builds and promotes a vibrant community of AI entrepreneurs. Members get access to exclusive events and a diverse network of AI researchers, investors, and other start-up founders. The prerequisite for membership is a connection to Cyber Valley, such as being members or alumni of the Cyber Valley Community, or a location in Baden-Württemberg. The business models must have intelligent systems at their core.
    Further information: cyber-valley.de/start-up-network.