University training sustAIn.brussels

Short presentation

Is your SME ready to go Digital in a Sustainable way?

This training course is intended only for SMEs, mid-caps and non-profit organisations!

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  • Programme title
    University training sustAIn.brussels
  • Programme mnemonic
    FC-873
  • Programme organised by
    • Centre de formation continue en Technologies et en Sciences
    • Centre de formation continue en Technologies et en Sciences
    • Université libre de Bruxelles
  • Title type
    formation continue
  • Field and branch of study
    Sciences and technics/other/Sciences/Engineering sciences
  • Open to returning students
    yes
  • Schedule type
    Daytime
  • Languages of instruction
    english
  • Programme duration
    short (2 to 5 days)
  • Campus
    Other campus, BeCentral
  • Category / Topic
    Economics and business management - Business management/Sciences and technics - Sciences/Sciences and technics - Sciences and technics/Human and social sciences - Information and communication
  • Exam board – additional information
    Team sustain 2.0 :
    • Marie-Mo VAEYENS (ir. Phd, responsible of TechSci)
    • Yavuz SARIKAYA (program manager)
    • Mélissa  RANWEZ (training coordinator)
    • Charlotte STIEVENART (Innovation & SME Engagement Coordinator)
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Presentation

Details

General information

Title type

formation continue

Programme duration

short (2 to 5 days)

Learning language(s)

english

Schedule type

Daytime

Campus

Other campus, BeCentral

Category(ies) - Topic(s)

Economics and business management - Business management/Sciences and technics - Sciences/Sciences and technics - Sciences and technics/Human and social sciences - Information and communication

Organising faculty(s) and university(ies) Open to returning students

yes

Customise your own sustAIn.brussels training track ! 

This program focuses on facilitating the sustainable digitalization of your organization. The flexible training structure allows you to tailor your learning experience by selecting from a variety of topics that cater to both managerial and technical aspects.

Financial aid (grants, training vouchers, etc.)

The sustAIn training tracks are designed to be free of financial contribution from the participant upon the condition of the participant's company to be eligible for some administrational/legal conditions.

* Deminimis-declaration with the sustAIn training tracks service offer: The company declares not exceeding state-support of 300 000 EURO over the last three years, if including the state-aid funded into this program (which is by convention with the Brussels region recognized as per SME at 1687 euro per organized training day, to be multiplied by the number of days you selected). This declaration with the service offer is established at the ULB administration, signed by ULB, after which the company is invited to sign as well.

If you are not eligible for the free training but still interested, you may contact techsci@ulb.be for alternative options.

Formation continue

Contacts

026502240

techsci@ulb.be

https://www.sustain.brussels/fr_BE/skills-training-training-tracks
Yavuz Sarikaya (programme Manager)
yavuz.sarikaya@ulb.be  
Marie-Mo Vaeyens (ir. Phd, responsible of TechSci)
& Mélissa Ranwez (training coordinator of TechSci) 
 techsci@ulb.be
Charlotte Stiévenart (Innovation & SME Engagement Coordinator)

To schedule a call with a member of our team, please don't hesitate to reach out via email.
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Registrations for Advance AI worflows 
Registrations for Rag Low-cost
Registrations for Strategic digital architecture 
Registrations for From data to prediction
Registrations for AI under EU digital law
Registrations for responsible digital 

Teachers

Our talented trainers :

  • Jacopo DE STEFANI
  • Valentin DIRKEN
  • Yann-Aël LE BORGNE
  • Valentina DALLA GIOVANNA
  • Ilker MAKINE
  • Jules DELCON
  • Natalia Garcia Colin
  logo techsci
     

Presentation

This program is particularly designed to train members from Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME's) in Brussels to facilitate digitalization of these SME's in a sustainable way

Daytime

Format : from March to June 2026
3 days on site - 12 hours 
From 9 am to 13 pm 
  • Introduction to Data-Driven Decision Making (Jacopo De Stefani)
  • Managing a Data Project (Jacopo De Stefani)
  • Next-generation AI Assistants (Yann-Aël Le Borgne)
  • Building Advanced AI Agent Workflows with LLMs (Yann-Aël Le Borgne)
  • AI Under EU Digital Law: Essential Insights & Legal Opportunities (Valentina Dalla Giovanna)
  • Architecting Digital Success for Your SME (Valentin Dirken)
  • The "Low-Cost RAG" (lker Makine)
  • Sustainability (Jules Delcon)

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The project is built on a practical and modular learning approach, tailored to the concrete needs of Brussels-based SMEs.
It combines academic expertise with real-world business cases, translating complex topics such as AI, data, and sustainability into actionable insights.
The pedagogy is action-driven, focusing on tools and methods that can be immediately applied within the company.
Training tracks are flexible and customizable, allowing SME leaders and teams to target their specific challenges.
Learning emphasizes hands-on practice and peer exchange, rather than abstract theory.
The ultimate goal is to strengthen SMEs’ decision-making capacity and innovation potential in their digital and sustainable transition.

Whatever your sector : professional firm, retailer, healthcareractice, service provider or B2B company;  this training provides concrete solutions to accelerate your digital transformation. From process optimisation and task automation to data security, GDPR compliance, CRM, digital file management and e-invoicing, you will gain practical tools that can be implemented immediately to save time, reduce costs and strengthen your competitiveness.

Attending

Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 09 am to 13pm

Calendar & registration

Prerequisites

SME's from Brussels

Target audience

Target audience

  • Brussels-based SMEs and mid-caps
  • Founders, managers, team leads
  • Digital transformation officers
  • Technical and non-technical professionals

Calendar & registration

Customise your own sustAIn.brussels training track ! 

Registrations for Advance AI worflows - COMPLETE
Registrations for Rag Low-cost
Registrations for Strategic digital architecture 
Registrations for From data to prediction
Registrations for AI under EU digital law
Registrations for responsible digital 

Additional information

This program is organised in the context of sustAIn.brussels, which has a series of other services to offer.

It is structured around 3 strategic tracks:
  • AXE 1 : AI & Assistants
    From beginner to advanced AI workflows
  • AXE 2 : Data Science
    Data-driven decisions, project management and predictive modelling
  • AXE 3 : Architecture, Regulation and Sustainability
    Strategy, tools, EU compliance and responsible practices

 

Programme

Customise your own sustAIn.brussels training track ! 
Tracks oriented towards management:

1. Introduction to Data-Driven Decision Making (Jacopo De Stefani) - 02/03, 03/03 & 04/03

*Non technical

Learning outcomes :
  • Explain the core concepts involved in a Data Science project (i.e. data, data storage, data analysis, predictive modeling).
  • Visualize different data types using industry standard no-code tools
  • Compute descriptive statistics (mean, median, correlation) on tabular datasets
  • Understand the ethical implications and possible causes of bias in a data analysis project.
Expected Deliverables : 
  • Exploratory Data Analysis Summary: An executive summary (-5 points) of initial findings
  • Interactive Insight Dashboard: A public link to a working Low-Code/No-Code dashboard that effectively addresses a business question (e.g., "Which day of the week generates the highest engagement?").
  • Decision-Making Memo: A one-page, non-technical memo written for a manager, detailing the interpreted results of a predictive model and including actionable reccomandations.

2. Managing a Data Project (Jacopo De Stefani) - 30/03, 31/03 & 01/04

* More technical

Learning outcomes :
  • Frame a Data Problem: Clearly define the business objective and success metrics for a data science project, aligning technical efforts with business value.
  • Apply Project Methodologies: Utilize methodologies like CRISP-DM and concepts from Agile/Scrum to plan, organize, and track project tasks effectively.
  • Ensure Governance: Implement simple systems for data governance and documentation, including tracking data sources and transformations.
  • Plan Deployment and Monitoring: Understand the basic concepts of MLOps (Model Operations) necessary for deploying a model and monitoring its performance over time (checking for model drift).
  • Communicate Strategically: Develop and deliver presentations that effectively communicate project results, risks, and ROI to non-technical, executive audiences.
Expected Deliverables : 
  • Project Charter Document: A formal document defining the project goals, scope, and initial data requirements
  • Kanban Project Board: A live project board demonstrating task management
  • Data Log: A shared document tracking data source and transformation steps.
  • Executive Project Summary Deck: A short presentation focusing on the Business Value, Model Risks, and Monitoring Plan for the final solution.

3. Next-generation AI Assistants (Yann-Aël Le Borgne) - 23/03, 24/03 & 25/03

*Non technical

Learning outcomes :
  • Understand the fundamentals of generative AI and modern AI assistants.
  • Identify practical use cases that increase productivity across sectors.
  • Learn to evaluate AI-generated outputs critically and responsibly.
  • Build simple automation workflows using no-code tools (e.g., n8n).
Expected Deliverables : 
  • A full end-to-end workflow that ingests text/image/sound and presents insights through a Gradio interface
  • • A reusable Python codebase with API integrations
  • • Technical guidelines and best practices for deploying AI tools
 

4. Building Advanced AI Agent Workflows with LLMs (Yann-Aël Le Borgne) - 20/04, 21/04 & 22/04

*More technical

Learning outcomes :

  • Understand the internal mechanics of LLMs and embeddings at a technical level.

  • Use APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, open-source LLMs) to integrate AI into workflows.

  • Leverage the HuggingFace ecosystem for model selection, fine-tuning, and deployment.

  • Build data-processing pipelines for emails, reviews, accounting documents, OCR, etc.

  • Create a functional user interface (UI) using Gradio or similar frameworks

Expected Deliverables
 

  • A full end-to-end workflow that ingests text/image/sound and presents insights through a Gradio interface
  • A reusable Python codebase with API integrations
  • Technical guidelines and best practices for deploying AI tool
     

5.  RAG Low-Cost (Ilker Makine) 11/05, 12/05 & 13/05

Learning outcomes :

  • Understand the foundations of applied Data Science for text and documents
  • • Master embeddings, semantic similarity, and vectorisation
  • Build an end-to-end RAG pipeline locally: ingestion, chunking, indexing, retrieval, generation
  • Understand LLM limitations, hallucination sources, and quality-control mechanisms
  • Apply RAG techniques to a realistic, compliance-focused business scenario

Expected Deliverables : 

  • A fully functioning low-cost RAG pipeline (script/GitHub)
  • • A structured vector index (embeddings + metadata)
  • • A simple architecture diagram of the pipeline
  • • A mini technical report with design decisions and recommendations

6. Strategic Digital Architecture (Valentin Dirken) 18/05, 19/05 & 20/05

Learning outcomes :

  • Diagnose operational inefficiency — identify manual processes that erode margins and slow growth
  • Connect tools via integration — eliminate data silos and enable real-time operational visibility
  • Design a phased technology roadmap — build implementation strategy aligned with business growth
  • Build an IT financial model and board-ready pitch deck with ROI


Expected Deliverables : 

  •  Process Automation Map + Automation Backlog
  • Data Requirements Schema + Data Connectivity Matrix
  • Tools + Integration Blueprint + Real-Time Data Flow Diagram
  • Implementation Roadmap + RACI Matrix + SLAs • Board-Ready Pitch Deck (5 slides)

7. From DATA to prediction (Nathalia Garcia Colin) 25/05, 26/05 & 27/05

Learning outcomes :
• The Core Concept: Why graphs matter and what makes GNNs different from other AI approaches 
• Real-World Applications: From fraud detection in financial networks to drug discovery, supply chain optimization, and social media recommendations
• Industry Use Cases: How companies like Pinterest, Uber, and pharmaceutical firms use GNNs to solve complex problems
• Research Frontiers: Current breakthroughs in materials science, protein folding, and knowledge graphs
• Business Value: When to consider GNNs versus traditional approaches, and what resources they require
• Limitations & Future: What GNNs can't do well (yet) and where the field is headed

Expected Deliverables
By the end, you'll recognize opportunities where GNN technology could provide competitive advantage, speak confidently with technical teams about GNN capabilities, and make informed decisions about investing in graph-based AI solutions.

8. AI Under EU Digital Law (Valentina Dalla Giovanna)  01/06, 02/06 & 03/06

Learning outcomes :

  • Understand the EU Digital Regulatory Framework and what matters in practice
  • Navigate the four core legal pillars: Digital Services, Privacy & Data, Cybersecurity, AI rules
  • Know your rights and responsibilities under GDPR and the Data Act
  • Prepare for the AI Act and broader liability framework


Expected Deliverables :

  • Personal compliance roadmap for your organization
  • Checklist of applicable regulations
  • Resource guide for ongoing compliance

9. Responsible Digital (Jules Delcon) 15/06, 16/06 & 17/06

Learning outcomes :
 

  • Discover the foundations of sustainable development (LCA, SDGs, CSR)
  • Define the social and environmental impacts of digital technologies
  • Understand the hierarchy of environmental impacts of digital equipment and usage
  • Discover methodology and tools for implementing responsible digital practices
  • Develop levers and tools to deploy a Responsible Digital strategy
  • Give SMEs practical keys to make better digitalization choices


Expected Deliverables :

  • Personal digital eco-gestures checklist
  • Digital wellbeing policy template
  • Responsible Digital action plan for your organisation
  • Resource guide with tools and references