Verzia zo dňa a času 14:42, 2. november 2022

Project TERAIS

The international project Towards Excellent Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at a Slovak university (TERAIS), funded by the Horizon Europe programme under the Twinning call started at the beginning of October 2022. The lead partner of the project with a budget of 1.6 million euro is the Department of Applied Informatics (DAI) of Comenius University in Bratislava (UKBA), which is to become a workplace of international academic excellence. Its scientists will collaborate with distinguished academic partners from the University of Hamburg in Germany and the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa. The project has four key pillars, namely the development of people, international networking, research excellence, and research support.

"The joint research will focus on cognitive robotics using artificial neural networks and deep learning, which are currently cutting-edge technologies in the field of artificial intelligence. This research will contribute to the development of robots that are trustworthy for humans to interact with on a daily basis. We believe that the collaborative research and sharing of knowledge within the partnership will take the research and innovation in our workplace to an international level. The project will raise the awareness of the general public about robot-related technologies as a key component of a modern IT-based society and increase the reputation, profile and attractiveness of Slovak research institutions." Said Professor Igor Farkaš, the head of DAI and the project coordinator.

The project will also examine the current conditions and needs of scientists at the Department of Applied Informatics at the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics of Comenius University. Based on the analysis, a plan will be developed to make the human capital development more systematic and lifelong. International staff and student exchanges will play an indispensable role in this process. Specific activities will focus on building the necessary research support structures for successful project proposals. Researchers of UKBA will be given the opportunity to draw inspiration from the long-term experience of the international partners during exchange visits.

International cooperation will contribute to networking and the establishment of long-term and sustainable international research partnerships. Links will also be established with other key players in the local innovation ecosystem, such as IT companies and technology start-ups. Dissemination and communication will be fostered through staff and student exchanges as well as the organization of joint events such as webinars and workshops. The submission of joint funding proposals and the joint preparation of research publications are also planned. Modern means of dissemination and communication will be used to inform about the outcomes of the project and the joint research activities.

The three-year long project has a budget of 1.6 million euro. It is supported by the European Union scientific research initiative Horizon Europe (92%) and co-financed by Comenius University (8%).