Abstract

The European Association of Innovation Consultants has launched a reflection on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the continuum from project design, spanning collaborative and individual projects, to project management. The goals of our approach are two-fold: to understand how AI impacts the services of research managers at large and to contribute to a broader discussion on the design of the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, the so called FP10.

This initiative is being undertaken by a dedicated Task Force within the association. It kicked-off with the EAIC conference entitled "How does AI impact R&I project design, proposal evaluation and project management?" (Brussels, 26 June 2023), where a broad range of speakers including Nik Claesen, Managing Director of EARMA, shared his insights. (See: https://www.eaic.eu/news/eaic-public-event-how-does-ai-impact-ri-project-design-proposal-evaluation-and-project-management)

We aim to present the EAIC's findings on this topic and engage with the conference audience on two key areas:

1. AI at the Organizational Level: We will provide an overview of how AI is changing Research and Innovation Management, emphasizing improved efficiency and effectiveness yet with an overview of the issues and limitations of AI based tools. We will address the challenges associated with integrating AI into our daily work, supported by real case studies from EAIC members.

2. AI at the Ecosystem Level: We will explore the implications of AI for FP10, presenting the EAIC's vision for AI's role in FP10. We'll discuss both the opportunities and potential concerns at the global level.

Throughout our presentation, we will welcome and value participants' comments and feedback. The EAIC will be thrilled to be part of the general discussion on AI during the EARMA Conference during which we intend to bring both a return of experience on the field as well as a unique vision on AI in FP10.