Prof. dr. Pim Haselager

Sofia Sappia

Sil van der Woerd

Luc Nies

Stefan Jansen

Ashish Pandharipande

Alexandra van Huffelen

Eva Eikhout

INNOVATE AI MEETUP 2026 - XL EDITION

INNOVATE organiseert sinds 2014 innovatiefestivals, challenges en meetups.

INNOVATE

Join this INNOVATE AI XL Meetup and learn about the latest groundbreaking innovations in A.I.! Read more below:

Musis Arnhem

The venue will be open from: 18.00 // OPTIONAL: MKB Workshop 18.30 - 19.30 // Main programme: 20.00 - 21:30 // Networking and drinks until: 22:30 // Please note: This event will be in English. <h3>INNOVATE AI MEETUP</h3>A.I. seems to be developing both at lightspeed and on a global scale - revolutionary breakthroughs make news headlines almost every day. Generative AI applications like Chat GPT and Midjourney have made the technology accessible for a worldwide audience. But even though these applications seem impressive, they are just the tip of the AI-iceberg.INNOVATE was wondering, how are the AI innovators in the Lifeport Arnhem-Nijmegen region doing? And what are they up to? Well, we did the research and it turns out our region holds some absolutely amazing innovations and stories we can't wait to share with you!So: bring your friends, colleagues, or fellow students and join us for this INNOVATE AI MEETUP - XL Edition and get inspired by the latest breakthrough innovations in AI. Learn how AI innovations from our region add to the development of A.I. as a technology, globally. Let entrepreneurs, designers and innovators in health + high tech + energy + creative demonstrate how they use AI to make impact on scale.Get ready to be amazed.<h4> </h4><h3>THE XL EDITION</h3>Supported by our fantastic partners, we will offer three areas on A.I. in Musis Arnhem.

<h3>The main programme will take place from 20.00 - 21.30 in the Muzenzaal. It will be in English entirely and feature 7 speakers:</h3>

The main programme will be moderated by Eva Eikhout (BNN/Vara)

1.Where is AI in it's development right now, and where is it going from here? Prof. dr. Pim Haselager (Radboud University / Principal Investigator - Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour) mentioned during his previous presentation at INNOVATE a few years ago: ''Humanity and AI are somewhat like a child playing with a chainsaw'' ... How are we handling that right now, and where should we be going from here?

2.Can AI help save hundreds of lives per day? Every day, around 700 women die from preventable pregnancy-related complications, most of them in low- and middle-income countries where access to ultrasound and trained sonographers is limited. To address these barriers to antenatal screening, Delft Imaging, in collaboration with Radboudumc, initiated the development of BabyChecker, an AI-enabled system that supports novice users in acquiring standardized ultrasound sweeps with a low-cost device and automatically identifying high-risk pregnancies. Sofia Sappia is researcher in AI for Medical Imaging at Radboudumc and one of the driving forces behind the Babychecker technology, she will tell us everything about her life saving application of AI.

3.Could an AI-powered app provide a new way to look at businesses? Arnhem-based creative multi talent Sil van der Woerd (co-founder &amp; creative director, <a href="https://www.studiobirthplace.com/" title="https://www.studiobirthplace.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Studio Birthplace</a>) pleads for a revolution of kindness with his work. His activistic short films and commercials for organisations like Woolmark and Greenpeace have reached audiences all over the world. Right now he is working on an AI powered app, Reveal, that could be a game changer in how we look at businesses worldwide.

4.How can AI turn a congested power grid into a flexible energy system? Luc Nies (Principal Researcher Artificial Intelligence at Alliander) works at the forefront of the energy transition, where digitalisation is key to keeping the lights on. With the Dutch electricity grid under extreme pressure—long waiting times for new connections, growing risks of overload and blackouts—he explores how AI can help transform our 'old school powergrid' into a 'flexible energy system'. From smart forecasting and energy management systems to new tariff models, Luc shows how hospitals, schools and businesses can remain resilient in an increasingly electrified world.

5.How can AI radically accelerate software development? Stefan Jansen (Lead, AI Experience Room at Avisi) shows how AI is transforming the way software is built. Where developing a software product once took a year, teams can now go from idea to market in a matter of weeks—or even days. Drawing on real-world projects, Stefan explores how AI-powered tooling reshapes the entire software lifecycle: from requirements and development to testing, deployment and cloud hosting. The result: faster innovation, shorter time-to-market, and a new reality where software teams must rethink what’s possible—and how fast they dare to move.

6.Is there more to AI than LLMs? As a global leader in semiconductors, NXP Semiconductors is enabling edge AI, agentic and physical AI. With these AI technologies, intelligence moves from centralized data centers to the edge, and autonomous systems can sense, understand and perform complex actions in the physical world. From smart edge computing to AI running directly on devices, NXP builds the hardware and software intelligence that makes AI faster, safer and more energy-efficient. Ashish Pandharipande, Technical Director – Innovation, will take us through some exciting applications enabled by these AI technologies.

7. How can the Lifeport region help shape the future of AI in the European Union? Alexandra van Huffelen, Chair of the Executive Board of Radboud Universiteit and Chair of The Economic Board Arnhem Nijmegen – Lifeport, brings together academic leadership, regional strategy and national policy experience. As former State Secretary for Digitalisation, she offers a unique perspective on how AI can drive innovation while safeguarding public values. In her closing remarks, she reflects on the role of AI in strengthening the Arnhem–Nijmegen region as a leading Lifeport ecosystem—and the choices we must make today to shape that future responsibly.

<h3>In 2026 is Arnhem de Nederlandse MKB-stad van het Jaar. Om dat te vieren organiseert INNOVATE, in samenwerking met diverse partners en als aanvulling op het hoofdprogramma, twee AI-workshops speciaal voor het MKB. Een sessie gericht op MKB’ers die de eerste stappen willen zetten in gebruik van AI, en een sessie voor ondernemers die de al met AI bezig zijn en die vervolgstap willen zetten. Deze workshops zijn beiden in het Nederlands.</h3>

<h3>+ Workshop 1: AI 'Level 1' voor MKB - 18.30-19.30 - Muzenfoyer</h3>Tijdens de INNOVATE AI Meetup organiseren de OndernemersLabs en het MKB-Datalab een mini-editie van de AI-ontbijt- en cafésessies die de afgelopen twee jaar in Arnhem en Nijmegen plaatsvonden. In deze bijeenkomsten hielpen zij mkb-ondernemers laagdrempelig en praktisch op weg met AI, met of zonder ondersteuning van studenten van de HAN en de Radboud Universiteit.De sessie wordt verzorgd door Marteyn Roes (OndernemersLab Arnhem &amp; Nijmegen), Dirk van Schaijk (MKB-Datalab) en Suzanne Jansen (HAN Minor Online Contentmarketing met AI). Zij organiseren een compacte mini-editie van de AI-ontbijt- en cafésessies die de afgelopen twee jaar in Arnhem en Nijmegen zijn gehouden. Tijdens de INNOVATE AI-meetup op 7 april nemen zij jou mee in de eerste stappen om zelf concreet met AI aan de slag te gaan. Dat doen ze met praktische tips om meer uit je dagelijkse AI-gebruik te halen én met inspirerende MKB-voorbeelden: van slimme data-inzichten tot creatieve campagnes.

<h3>+ Workshop 2: AI 'Level 2' voor MKB - 18.30-19.30 - Balkonzaal</h3>Ben je al lekker bezig met ChatGPT of vergelijkbare apps, maar wil je graag die volgende stap maken met A.I. voor jouw onderneming? Meld je dan aan voor de AI 'Level 2' voor MKB workshop van Guus Witjes, AI &amp; Digital Marketing expert binnen de HAN - University of Applied Sciences Arnhem-Nijmegen.Je gebruikt ChatGPT of vergelijkbare AI-apps al regelmatig, maar elke keer begin je weer opnieuw. Opnieuw uitleggen wie je bent, wat je bedrijf doet, en wat je nodig hebt. Dat kan anders. In deze praktische sessie laat Guus je zien hoe je van een generieke AI-tool een op maat gemaakte AI-collega maakt. Eentje die jouw bedrijf kent, jouw toon aanhoudt, en direct bruikbaar werk oplevert. Wat je leert:<ul><li>Hoe je AI stopt met "zoeken" en start met "werken" voor jouw onderneming</li><li>Hoe je je eigen AI-collega bouwt die jouw context kent</li><li>Hoe je van 1 collega opschaalt naar een heel AI-team</li></ul>Geen slides vol tekst of alleen maar theorie: je gaat zelf bouwen. Neem je laptop met ChatGPT of Gemini mee!

Agenda

MKB Workshop - Level 1 - Muzenfoyer

MKB Workshop - Level 2 - Balkonzaal

Main programme - Muzenzaal

Networking area + Mini AI expo

Onze {communityGuidelinesLink} beschrijven wat voor content verboden is op Eventbrite. Als je denkt dat een evenement deze schendt, meld dit dan aan ons, zodat wij het kunnen onderzoeken.

Om andere categorieën van verboden of illegale content te rapporteren, verzend je {link}

INNOVATE AI MEETUP 2026 - XL EDITION

Meer evenementen van INNOVATE

Ontdek meer evenementen van INNOVATE, van Wetenschap en tech tot andere ervaringen die je misschien leuk vindt.

INNOVATE AI MEETUP 2026 - XL EDITION

Meer evenementen van INNOVATE

Ontdek meer evenementen van INNOVATE, van Wetenschap en tech tot andere ervaringen die je misschien leuk vindt.

Misschien vind je dit ook leuk...

Blader door meer evenementen met verschillende datums, prijzen en formats om je volgende geweldige ervaring te vinden.