I am director of the Artificial Intelligence Labs of Utrecht University. In these AI Labs new ideas and technologies can be developed, tested and researched. It is a place where students, researchers and professionals collaborate on projects, and where professionals can be further educated. The flexible nature and external orientation of these labs allows for urgent and complex societal challenges to be addressed. I organise structural collaborations with commercial and public sector organisations, various departments and other universities. This includes setting up research and education programs on Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and related fields.