The Dutch AI Labs Ecosystem Model: Building Knowledge, Talent, and Impact Together

This session brings together the Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence (ICAI) community (researchers, industry partners, and PhD talent from labs across the Netherlands) for a shared moment at BNAIC 2026. Through short research spotlights, a panel on the future of public-private AI collaborations, and an open community discussion, participants will gain a panoramic view of what the ICAI ecosystem has produced, where it is headed, and insight in how to organise successful public-private partnerships. The session is open to all BNAIC participants and an entry point into the ICAI way of working for those not yet familiar with it.

The session has four interconnected goals:

○ Showcase research breadth. ICAI’s labs span domains from healthcare, strong
institutions, and mobility to services, industry and infrastructure, and sustainability.
BNAIC is the natural venue to bring this work in front of the Benelux AI community.
○ Connect people across labs. This session creates a structured opportunity for cross-lab
exchange, mentorship conversations, and new collaborations.
○ Reflect critically on the lab model. Eight years in, ICAI has accumulated substantial
experience with public-private AI research. The session will open space for honest
reflection: what works, what is challenging, and what the field can learn from this model.
○ Situate ICAI in the broader landscape. With plans for near-future investments being
shaped, this is a timely moment to ask what a national AI innovation center should look
like and share perspectives with industry and government partners and academics.

Session agenda:

• Introduction to ICAI
• Research spotlights
• Poster presentations
• Panel discussion with panelists drawn from academia, industry, government, and PhD talent on “what does a national AI innovation center owe the field?”
• Community open floor, structured open discussion on what ICAI should prioritize in its next phase
• Wrap-up and next steps.

What participants can expect to gain?

Attendees not yet familiar with ICAI will leave with a
clear understanding of the lab ecosystem, concrete research results across multiple
domains, insights into building public-private research-partnerships and contact points for
potential collaboration or PhD supervision. Attendees who already work in or with ICAI will
gain cross-lab visibility, a structured forum to surface shared challenges, and input from the
broader community on ICAI’s research portfolio. Industry and government representatives
attending BNAIC will find the panel and open floor relevant to their own decisions about AI
investment, talent partnerships, and the conditions under which public-private collaboration
creates durable value.