Besides knowledge development around AI, an important ambition of the Fontys Knowledge Center Applied AI for Society is the AI-enabling of our region. On the labor market we see a large shortage of well-trained professionals and SMEs lag behind when it comes to digitalization. This is to the detriment of our regional innovation strength. Therefore, together with our network, we ensure high-quality AI education for a broad target group and help companies with their digitization issues. One of the projects under this is the realization of a Digital Workshop.
New Digital Workshop in the region
The Digital Workshop phenomenon is certainly not new. From several Digital Workshops in the Netherlands, students and SMEs are already working together on digitization issues. In Northern ('s-Hertogenbosch e.o.) and Western Brabant (Breda e.o.) Digital Workshops have been in operation for some time. Since the beginning of this school year we have also started in the Central and Southeast Brabant region (Eindhoven, Tilburg, Helmond e.o.). A special Digital Workshop it is, because in this club no less than eight educational institutions work together. Besides Fontys University of Applied Sciences, these include TU/e, JADS and Tilburg University and ROC ter AA, Summa College, Onderwijsgroep Tilburg and Koning Willem I College. This enables us to take on many and various projects at different implementation levels. SMEs can turn to us for a wide range of questions and projects. Think of web development, online marketing, cyber security, data science, process optimization and cloud solutions. Together, the goal is to match 600 SMEs with 3,000 students over three years. The size and duration of the projects can vary from a one-day consultation, a group project of several weeks, a "better" side job to a (graduate) internship or even a multi-year PDEng study. With this we help SMEs in the region with their digitization questions and students get the chance to gain relevant experience and knowledge with practical cases.
More information about Digitale Werkplaats Midden- en Zuidoost Brabant: www.mjinbedrijfdigitaliseren.nl. Digital Workshop is a project of the Knowledge Center Applied AI for Society. (Source: Fontys.nl)