Professor of Game and Media Technology, Remco Veltkamp, will join the Utrecht AI Labs as scientific director starting August 1. He will focus on further developing the collaboration between the university and public and private organisations, governments, and other research institutions in the field of artificial intelligence.
Over the past few years, the Utrecht AI Labs have experienced significant growth, expanding from a single lab in 2019 to fifteen in 2024. The labs are associated with more than twenty partner organisations, over fifty PhD candidates, and dozens of researchers and master's students. Since 2024, the AI Labs have been a separate division within the Department of Information and Computing Sciences, with a clear mandate to seek collaboration across the entire university.
Remco Veltkamp is already closely involved with the AI Labs, particularly the AI & Media Lab and the AI & Animal Welfare Lab. Additionally, he is a member of the regional NLAIC Hub Central Netherlands and the NLAIC application area Culture and Media, giving him familiarity with key partners outside the university. His expertise lies in media and game technology, with an emphasis on the use of pattern recognition and artificial intelligence in general.
Bridge
According to Veltkamp, the beauty of the AI Labs is that they serve as a bridge between the university and society. “The collaborating parties provide scientifically challenging issues, and the scientists draw inspiration from them. Together with the strategic themes and focus areas within Utrecht University, and with the collaborating parties in the AI Labs, we are making an impact in science and society. Developments in AI are progressing so rapidly that we need each other.”
Thomas Dohmen, operational director of the AI Labs, sees clear added value in Veltkamp’s arrival. “It has been a considerable task to realise the labs and the multidisciplinary collaborations within them. Remco has years of experience in bringing together interdisciplinary consortia and is also well acquainted with the administrative culture of Utrecht University. His appointment as scientific director will help the AI Labs to solidify our collaborations within and outside the university and strengthen the acceptance of AI research.”
This article was first published on 18 July by Utrecht University.
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