Simon had long known that he wanted to do something with AI. The fact that Radboud University offers a broad range of courses, both in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in Artificial Intelligence, convinced him to study in Nijmegen. “Here you don’t just dive into mathematics or computer science. We also learn a lot about psychology and ethics, even from a biological perspective. We look at questions like: how exactly do brains work, and how do people process signals in their brains? And how do you make sure that the AI applications you build aren’t misused?”
Magic
It fascinated Simon. “Modeling something is almost like magic. Turning data that seems chaotic on its own into a model that finds patterns and allows logical conclusions to be drawn.”
During his bachelor’s programme, Simon heard about MKB Datalab-Oost: a brand new initiative at the time that gives students the opportunity to work with regional small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). They help companies tackle real-world challenges that need data-driven solutions. Simon immediately thought: “That’s a gap in the market. SMEs often don’t have the capacity to set up large IT departments, let alone focus on AI applications. That’s exactly where my expertise comes in.”
Simon was one of the first participants in the program and was paired with the real estate agency Kolmeijer Makelaars Nijmegen. “The company spent a lot of money on social media ads. Within ten weeks, I visualized data for them on what types of houses in Nijmegen and the surrounding areas had been sold over the past few decades. From that, a model emerged. As a result, they no longer had to send flyers to 20,000 addresses but around 500, those with a high likelihood of selling within a year.”
Simon laughs: “I still live in a student room myself, so I’m not exactly into buying houses. But a dataset is just numbers and that’s my territory. I found it fascinating to search for patterns and predict potential fast sales based on data. It went quite smoothly. And I have to say, I was able to apply a lot of what I learned from Tom Heskes’ Data Mining course.”
Added value
That first experience left Simon wanting more. “Helping regional companies apply data-driven solutions happens far too little. Delivering a model like the one for Kolmeijer Makelaars Nijmegen provides such valuable insights that they can really use.”
A year later, MKB Datalab-Oost approached Simon again. This time to take on a project for EKI, a manufacturer of products made from cellular rubber, foam, rubber, and sponge rubber. Again, a regional company, though Simon hadn’t heard of it before. “There was someone there who already understood data. He guided me through the company so I quickly understood what I was doing. It also helped that I could work in their office every Thursday, which made it easy to talk to colleagues and make progress.”
This time, Simon’s task was to design a model that determines production capacity, depending on factors such as material type and product dimensions. Knowing how many minutes it takes to make a product allows for more effective planning. “And it means the director gets interrupted less often,” Simon adds with a smile. “That’s the kind of thing you discover when you get an inside look at a company.”
Opportunity
“It was a true collaboration,” Simon says proudly. “EKI gave me the opportunity to understand the context of the product and the company. And that’s essential. You can’t deliver a good model if all you do is code.”
Simon delivered a model that automatically converts orders into a production schedule. “It’s still a prototype,” he explains. “We have to keep testing it.”
He now has that opportunity, because although his assignment officially ended, EKI hired him as a freelancer. With his own company, CAIW (Catalyst AI Works), Simon feels even more responsibility on his shoulders but his experience with MKB Datalab-Oost gives him confidence. “These projects showed me how quickly I can make a real impact for companies.”
Bart van der Tol (director of EKI) about working with Simon:
Often, the gap between businesses and universities is quite large, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). MKB Datalab Oost manages to build a strong bridge in this area, making AI much more accessible to SMEs. In the field of AI, Simon has achieved a major efficiency improvement in our production process at EKI. Simon is incredibly smart, but he also knows how to connect with our production employees on the shop floor. He creates support and engagement, which fosters connection and ensures the AI project is successfully implemented.
What is MKB Datalab-Oost?
MKB Datalab-Oost introduces entrepreneurs to AI and data-driven business in an accessible way. It does this through inspiration sessions and masterclasses, as well as by engaging in small-scale AI projects that are tailor-made in close collaboration with regional entrepreneurs at an attractive rate. MKB Datalab-Oost also offers Data Buddies: students who assess the opportunities within a company to start working with AI projects. The initiative is a collaboration between Radboud University and the University of Twente. It invites entrepreneurs in the eastern part of the Netherlands to learn more about AI and the possibilities it can offer them. The projects are carried out by AI and Data Science students from Radboud University, who are supported by their lecturers.