The first AIRE Club brought together manufacturers and providers of support services

The first AIRE Club was held at the start of November to bring together the clients of AIRE, who are manufacturers and industrial companies, and the scientists, engineers, experts, IT developers, robot importers, banks, telecommunications companies, and public and private financiers that provide support services for them. The monthly AIRE Club is planned to help people work together in a relaxed format through discussion and dialogue that can lead to artificial intelligence and robotics projects. At a time when businesses have moved a large part of their communications over to digital channels, there is an increased real need for face-to-face communication in person. This was proved by the enthusiastic participation of industrial businesses in the event at the University of Tartu.

The artificial intelligence and robotics hub AIRE, led by Tallinn University of Technology, is the Estonian candidate to join the future pan-European network of digital innovation hubs that will next year have over 200 members from across the European Union. This means that AIRE Club can be a physical meeting space for presenting local services and success stories, alongside information on the work of other European hubs that may be of interest to Estonian manufacturing companies. It can also tell stories of Estonian collective success to audiences across Europe.

Vice Rector of Tallinn University of Technology Sven Illing spoke about how Silicon Valley has shown that success stories emerge from contacts, discussions and networks. One of the key ambitions for AIRE is to help manufacturers and their supporters at universities, IT firms and elsewhere to open the right doors to access additional sources of funding, as money will always be attracted to good ideas, but bringing the money and the idea together is not always easy.

At the first meeting, students from the University of Tartu presented robots that will in future serve the clients of medical institutions and leisure and entertainment centres. At the next meeting, there will be presentations by businesses that have already used robots to change our consumption habits. “Successful enterprise needs cooperation, and cooperation needs the parties to meet each other”, said Kirke Maar, head of the AIRE hub, to explain the aim behind AIRE Club. The next AIRE Club meeting will be held on 10 December in Tallinn. More information soon!

More information: Annet Muru, Industry Collaboration Coordinator of the UT Institute of Computer Science, 5323 5266, annet.muru@ut.ee