Our Areas of Expertise
AI Grand Est ENACT aims to position the Grand Est region as a European leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI) through a structuring strategy that brings together education, research and innovation for the benefit of the entire region. This ambition is built around three complementary areas of expertise:
- Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Multimodal Foundation Models, which are at the core of next-generation AI technologies,
- AI for Engineering and Scientific Discovery, aimed at accelerating the discovery of new materials, medicines and scientific knowledge, while supporting sustainable innovation and industrial transformation,
- Digital Health, with the ambition of delivering better support to patients, physicians and healthcare professionals throughout the care pathway.
Our Strategic Pillars
Education and Training
The cluster partners are convinced that world-class education in Artificial Intelligence is key to preparing future generations of experts, researchers and innovators. Focusing on its three strategic areas of expertise, the cluster will double the number of students enrolled in advanced AI programmes at Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD and lifelong learning levels. These programmes will place a strong emphasis on hands-on learning through data challenges and hackathons, close interaction with industry, and training in the ethical, societal and legal dimensions of AI.
Objectives of the Education and Training Pillar
- Develop joint programmes across partner universities
- Design interdisciplinary learning pathways and practice-oriented programmes rooted in real-world challenges and industrial use cases
- Offer excellence scholarship programmes and associated international research teams to strengthen international attractiveness
- Expand mentoring and outreach initiatives to promote gender balance and foster greater social diversity
Research
Our ambition is to establish a European reference framework for responsible AI research and innovation, bringing together fundamental and applied AI research, humanities and social sciences, industry, policymakers and citizens. By combining scientific excellence, interdisciplinarity and real-world applicability, AI Grand Est ENACT seeks both to accelerate the deployment of impactful AI solutions and to address major unresolved scientific challenges.
Objectives of the Research Pillar
- Fund 18 research and innovation chairs, alongside an international chairs programme
- Develop and disseminate open Multimodal Foundation Models and AI resources
- Strengthen the international recruitment of researchers and faculty members
- Increase the number of PhD candidates
- Play a leading role at both Franco-German and European levels through existing cross-border partnerships (e.g. DFKI, Saarland University, Clinnova) and European university alliances (EUCOR, EPICUR, Eureca-Pro, UniGR)
Innovation
AI Grand Est ENACT leverages the full strength of the regional innovation ecosystem—including competitiveness clusters, technology transfer organisations, University Hospital Institutes, Fab Labs, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, AI technology transfer platforms, University Innovation Hubs, European Digital Innovation Hubs and economic development agencies—to foster public-private collaboration, accelerate technology transfer and support the creation of AI-driven startups.
Objectives of the Innovation Pillar
- Support and strengthen student entrepreneurship programmes (PeeL, Pepit Etena)
- Support the emergence of AI deeptech startups by coordinating the actions of University Innovation Hubs (Unys, Lorraine University Innovation Hub, PUI-Alsace), University Hospital Institutes (INFINY Nancy, IHU Strasbourg), competitiveness clusters (BioValley France, Materalia), incubators (SEMIA / Quest for Change, Incubateur Lorrain, Inria Startup Studio), technology transfer organisations (Conectus, Sayens) and Grand E-Nov+
- Foster strategic partnerships with companies and public authorities
