ETH Zurich becomes one of the first sites of the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems
Based on a proposal involving Niko Beerenwinkel, Caroline Uhler and Karsten Borgwardt from D-BSSE and colleagues from other departments, ETH Zurich was chosen as a site for one of the first ELLIS Units in Europe. The European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems is an intergovernmental organisation with key partners from academia and industry. Karsten Borgwardt explains the vision of ELLIS and the role of D-BSSE in the new ETH Unit, which is coordinated by Thomas Hofmann from D-INFK.
The founding vision of ELLIS is to grow and interconnect European competences in learning and intelligent systems in order to counterbalance the advances in this field in other parts of the world. Karsten, you will become an ELLIS faculty member: What do you see as key future challenges for Switzerland and for Europe?
Karsten Borgwardt: Machine learning is one of the key technologies of the 21st century. The vision of ELLIS is to foster research and collaborations in machine learning across Europe and to strengthen Europe’s position in this highly competitive and booming field. For Switzerland, as a global leader in technology and research, this initiative is of utmost importance.
The founding of 17 “ELLIS Units” is the first step towards realising large intergovernmental European programmes on artificial intelligence. What is the role of D-BSSE in the ETH ELLIS Unit?
At D-BSSE in Basel, several research groups are working on machine learning and its applications in biology and medicine. Together with colleagues in Zurich they form a hub for machine learning in Switzerland and Europe. D-BSSE will contribute in this role to the new ETH ELLIS Unit whose coordinating node is located at D-INFK.
ELLIS boosts research as well as industry partnerships, entrepreneurship and education. From your perspective, what will be the key competences of D-BSSE contributing to this endeavour and how will D-BSSE benefit from the programme?
The location of D-BSSE in Basel, home of some of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the world, makes it an ideal place for industry partnerships and education in machine learning in the life sciences, and its strong record of start-ups and technological innovations provides an ideal environment for future founders. The new ELLIS Unit will strengthen the collaborations in machine learning within ETH Zurich and across Europe.
Find external pageELLIS media information and further information on the external pageELLIS initiative.