Session 1 - Assessing AI, Data, and Robotics in Public Service Missions

MODERATOR

Prof. of Computer Science at Université Libre de Bruxelles & Co-Director of the IRIDIA laboratory.

Co-creator and scientific coordinator of FARI, Hugues Bersini is a leading expert in artificial intelligence and computer science, serving as a full professor and co-director of the IRIDIA laboratory at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). With around 300 published papers, his research spans cognitive sciences, process control, reinforcement learning, and biological networks. He has led several European industrial and research projects, focusing on adaptive systems and optimization algorithms. Bersini has organized numerous international conferences, including the European Conference on Artificial Life (ECAL) and the International Conference on Artificial Immune Systems (ICARIS). He has also authored fourteen French books on computer science and complex systems and consults for industries on data mining and business intelligence.

SPEAKER

Founder & Partner of Urban Innovators Global & Professor of Practice at Thunderbird School of Global Management

Bas Boorsma is a leading urban innovation and digitalization specialist. He is the founder and partner of Urban Innovators Global and serves as chairman of the Urban Futures venture build studio. He is also a Professor of Practice at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, focusing on urban innovation and smart cities. Bas served as the Chief Digital Officer for the City of Rotterdam from 2021 to 2023 and is a board member of the Smart City Association Italy (TSCAI). He authored the acclaimed book "A New Digital Deal" and has held various leadership roles at Cisco, including Digitization Lead for Northern Europe. His expertise includes community innovation, Internet of Things, and smart city solutions.

SPEAKER

Alderman for Urban Planning, Mobility, Digital Transition and Employment in the commune of Woluwe Saint-Pierre