Artificial intelligence: Bosch and University of Amsterdam to cooperate closely

Amsterdam, Netherlands/Stuttgart, Germany – Artificial intelligence is poised to fundamentally change the world: in the future, machines will be capable of autonomously learning from experience and acting on this basis. The foundation for this is deep learning. In the future, the University of Amsterdam and Bosch will cooperate closely in this field. To this end, the two partners have announced a research alliance in Amsterdam. Known as Delta Lab (“Deep Learning Technologies Amsterdam”), the alliance aims to promote regular professional exchange and knowledge transfer. In this way, Bosch is further expanding its expertise in the field of artificial intelligence. Over the next four years, the company will make a total of 3 million euros available to support the research of ten PhD students and postdoctoral fellows at the University of Amsterdam.

These young scientists will work closely with researchers from the Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence at the Renningen research campus. In return, Bosch will send associates to work on joint scientific projects at the University of Amsterdam. “Industrial basic research in the field of artificial intelligence benefits from close contact with academic institutions,” says Dr. Michael Bolle, head of research and advance engineering at Bosch. “I’m very much looking forward to working with Professor Max Welling and his team from the University of Amsterdam. Worldwide, he is one of the leading names in the field of deep learning.”

Machines learn from a wide range of data

The model for deep learning is the human brain with its neural networks. In the research projects, the PhD students will develop mathematical models and algorithms that enable machines to learn from information and experience. In the process, they will be supplied with a large volume of data gathered by sensors and cameras. To give a concrete example: once the learning phase has been completed, an automated car will be able to distinguish a playing child from a ball rolling across the street and make the decision to brake.

“In connection with connected manufacturing and smart assistance systems as well, deep learning is gaining increasing importance,” Max Welling says. “We hope the research findings from Delta Lab will result in applications and products in which Bosch is a global market leader.”

Delta Lab is Bosch’s second AI research alliance. Late last year, Bosch and partners from politics, business, and science created Cyber Valley in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

Delta Lab:

- Research partnership between Bosch and the University of Amsterdam

- Goal: close professional exchange between the Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence and the University of Amsterdam

- Research focus: deep learning

- Over a period of four years, Bosch will provide 3 million euros in funding for ten PhD students and postdoctoral fellows at the University of Amsterdam

Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence (BCAI):

- Around 100 associates in Renningen, Palo Alto, and Bengaluru

- Goal: to expand research in the field of artificial intelligence

- Bosch will invest around 300 million euros in the BCAI by 2021

- Research findings will be incorporated directly into applications and products