sebastian

SMERALD Datathon in Palermo – Exploring Data and AI Through Real Challenges On 13–14 June 2025, the SMERALD partnership hosted its first Datathon in Palermo – a hands-on event designed to help SMEs, nonprofits, public authorities, and educators experience the practical use of digital data, data analysis, and AI. The Datathon followed a hybrid format: participants joined both on-site in Palermo and online from across Europe. After two days of intense work, all teams presented their results during an online…

Exploring AI Together When we invited Kanal4 to join the SMERALD piloting, their starting point was typical for many SMEs: AI was clearly relevant, but there had never been enough time, structure, or confidence to explore it properly. It wasn’t a lack of interest—it was simply the reality of daily business. For them, AI was something you should look into, but never quite got around to. Opening the door: from uncertainty to orientation Our first goal at blinc was simple:…

AI becomes a strategic topic The European Union’s latest initiative to establish AI factories is a significant step towards improving Europe’s artificial intelligence capabilities. These factories are designed as dynamic ecosystems that combine supercomputing power, data resources, and top talent to develop innovative generative AI models. By fostering collaboration between universities, supercomputing centers, industry, and financial players, AI Factories are expected to drive innovation in various sectors, including health, manufacturing, climate, and finance. This strategic move is closely aligned with…