Founders commit to continuation of JADS

Eindhoven University of Technology and Tilburg University want to continue the Jheronimus Academy of Data Science (JADS) with the support of the municipality of ’s-Hertogenbosch and the province of North Brabant. The institute will remain in ’s-Hertogenbosch, in the Mariënburg monastery, but it will be organizationally embedded in the TUE department of Mathematics & Computer Science, to ensure simpler and more efficient management and lower costs. In November, both the municipality and the province will decide on the respective contributions needed for the further development.

In response to the rapidly growing importance of data science and AI, the four parties started the “Grand Initiative Data Science” in 2015. A main part of this initiative, JADS was set up as an academic environment for interdisciplinary education, practice-based research and collaboration with public and private partners. The institute combines the technical insights from Eindhoven with the Tilburg perspective on the business, legal and social components of data science and AI.

Recently, an external committee evaluated JADS and concluded that it’s a success in terms of the main goals. The institute adds significant value for Brabant and ’s-Hertogenbosch, ensuring a better business climate and economic growth. For example, the two-year master’s program in data science and entrepreneurship is of high quality and the demand for graduates is high. The EngD degree program in data science is the largest in the country. The Mariënburg complex has been developed into a fully-fledged campus with a mix of education, research and impact activities, home to about a hundred data science employees. The evaluation also reported areas for improvement: management and operations can be made more efficient and effective and the location in ’s-Hertogenbosch is expensive.

The two founding universities strongly believe in the joint further development of JADS. They’ve drawn up a plan for the next ten years, which responds to the points for improvement mentioned to make the data academy future-proof. JADS broadens the focus areas and the education is expanded. In addition, the institute will be even more focused on societal issues that require innovation. For example, there will be more innovation labs, including in the field of software and security. Furthermore, the number of students in the master’s program will be increased by offering more different tracks within the program. This will boost the economic value for the ecosystem of the city and the province.

However, the continuation of the ’s-Hertogenbosch location and the expansion of activities aren’t possible without the support of the municipality and the province. The benefits for the region are big, but the universities alone can’t bear these costs. With the intended continuation of the partnership, the financial burden is shared. “The evaluation gives us starting points to make JADS even stronger and more future-proof,” says Wilma de Koning, vice president of Tilburg University. TUE vice president Patrick Groothuis adds: “We’ve built up an important institute with strong relationships in a relatively short time, which has now proven its great added value. We’re fully committed to further developing JADS.”