Recently, a new R&D&I network in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) has been created in Catalonia, la Xarxa RDI-IA, which brings together more than 300 researchers from 28 research groups of 16 Catalan institutions, including Pompeu Fabra University. 

The network’s mission is to provide the Catalan artificial intelligence ecosystem with mechanisms for the transfer of technology and valuing the knowledge generated by universities and at research and technology centres, following open innovation paradigms involving the system’s various agents and generating co-innovation dynamics with companies.

The member institutions are involved in more than 150 collaborations with companies, with over 50 intellectual property registrations and 24 spinoffs. The network is coordinated by the Computer Vision Center (CVC), a research centre linked to the Autonomous University of Barcelona, funded by the Department of Research and Universities of the Catalan Government, through the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR).

UPF will be participating in this network with the involvement of four research groups from the Department of Information and Communication Technologies (DTIC) working on artificial intelligence from different perspectives: 

Barcelona Centre for New Medical Technologies (BCN MedTech), with Miguel Ángel González-Ballester and Gemma Piella as principal investigators (PI) This research unit brings together several research groups dedicated to research into biomedical engineering.

Natural Language Processing (TALN), with Leo Wanner as PI and Horacio Saggion as co-PI. This research group develops spoken and written language processing tools in various languages and specializes in natural language text generation, deep language analysis, text simplification, automatic summary and machine translation for sign languages.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Group (AI&ML), with Anders Jonsson as PI. This research group works in different areas such as automated planning, interactive machine learning, probabilistic graphic models and autonomous robotics, among others. 

Intelligent Multimodal Vision Analysis Group (IMVA, previously IPCV), with Coloma Ballester as PI. This group focuses its research on the analysis and understanding of visual information, often based on different modalities beyond vision, such as audio information, natural language and even ultrasound or magnetic resonance. The group develops both model-based and artificial intelligence- and machine learning-based proposals.

Last week, a kick-off meeting was held on the UPF Poblenou campus between the research groups and the coordinating entity, the CVC. Sergi Besonies, network promoter, presented the objectives and priority lines of action.

Consolidation of the Catalan artificial intelligence ecosystem  

The aim is for the mechanisms of La Xarxa RDI-IA to generate a greater economic and social return to the Catalan industrial fabric, boosting the number of technology-based companies and increasing the generation of highly qualified jobs. The network also aims to consolidate the Catalan AI ecosystem, with the goal of positioning it as a research and innovation hub in southern Europe, stimulating interactions between scientific actors and forging links with the business sector, generating socioeconomic impact. 

Coloma: "this network, it helps to consolidate and strengthen the collaboration that our IMVA research group has with other researchers who use artificial intelligence from different perspectives, in addition to others that may arise in the network”

The UPF researchers are most positive about their integration into this ecosystem, as Coloma Ballester states: “The funding of the transfer of research that we conduct on artificial intelligence, granted by the Department of Research and Universities of the Catalan Government is most positive. In addition, and through this network, it helps to consolidate and strengthen the collaboration that our IMVA research group has with other researchers who use artificial intelligence from different perspectives, in addition to others that may arise in the network”. This network also has an international outlook that allows connecting the Catalan AI ecosystem to the main structures that make up the current European system of excellence in research and innovation in the field of AI, thus creating a high-level competitive environment that will promote the establishment of innovation hubs of technology companies and the creation of startups. And in this regard, Ballester adds: “Initiatives like this help Catalonia to gain international visibility and attract research talent. Within the created network, the opportunity for training in entrepreneurial culture and innovation by young scientists is exciting, as well as the transfer of technology through the creation, for example, of spinoffs”.

Catalonia, a pioneer in research into artificial intelligence  

Catalonia has a solid R&D&I system that has contributed decisively to the creation of a scientific and technology-based ecosystem in AI. In recent years, this Catalan ecosystem has positioned itself as one of the most productive and as a benchmark in Europe, both in terms of knowledge generation and economic impact. In this sense, the research conducted in the Catalan AI ecosystem stands out, with more than 34 institutions certified with the European seal of research excellence, ELLIS. In addition, the Catalan ecosystem is the 3rd European region in the ranking of participation in AI R&D projects in the new Horizon Europe framework. 

In terms of enterprise, in Catalonia there are more than 180 companies specializing in AI that turn over around 1.35 billion euros per year and employ 8,500 professionals.  

In 2019, the Catalan Government, committed to making the region more competitive and turning this growing ecosystem into a leading AI research and innovation centre in Europe, promoted the Catalan Artificial Intelligence Strategy (Catalonia.ai), whose definition involved some of the entities of La Xarxa RDI-IA. La Xarxa RDI-IA is aligned with and complemented by the rest of the components that make up the Catalan AI ecosystem, both in the field of research, through close collaboration with the Catalan Association of Artificial Intelligence (ACIA) and the Artificial Intelligence Research Alliance in Catalonia (AIRA), the latter dedicated to promoting scientific research and talent management in the field of AI; and with the main stakeholders supporting the digitalization of the Catalan business fabric, such as the AI node of the Digital Innovation Hub of Catalonia (DHI4CAT), whose goal is to promote the technological transformation of small and medium enterprises (with a special focus on industrial sectors and technology suppliers), technological startups and public entities.

A fabric of networks to promote transfer

UPF belongs to a further ten R&D&I networks, thanks to the initiative and funding of the Department of Research and Universities of the Catalan Government. All of them offer an opportunity to join forces with other entities dedicated to research and thus be able to act jointly in order to identify research results with transfer potential, build a portfolio of products and services that can be valued, advise on the process of valuing and transfer, carry out market studies and patentability studies, and offer specific training.