b'Connecting to the Future Communications networks are now part of ourcritical infrastructure, enabling a vast range ofThe CONNECT Centre is the world leading applications that we have all come to rely on.Science Foundation Ireland research centre for These networks must now evolve to enablefuture networks and communications, hosted services that one day will also becomeby the School of Computer Science and ubiquitous, from augmented reality toStatistics in Trinity. The Centre includes 300 autonomous vehicles. CONNECTs researchersresearchers in ten higher education institutes are designing the next generation of networksaround Ireland drawn largely from computer that respond automatically to the services thatscience and engineering disciplines. run on them.Since its launch in 2015, CONNECT researchers The CONNECT Centre is also a leader in thehave won 16.8 million in competitive funding, application of artificial intelligence tolargely from the EUs prestigious Horizon 2020 communications networks and currently leadsprogramme. The Centre has also attracted a several research projects on the use of AI infurther 12.4 million in investment from over 40 smart city traic management systems, the useindustry partners ranging from large of AI-controlled drones as networkmultinationals to early-stage SMEs. CONNECT infrastructure, and the use of artificial neuralcollaborates extensively with the international networks in modem design. A new researchresearch community, leading 8 European partnership with Tsinghua University focuses onprojects, while partnering in 29 more.the use of AI in smart networks.41'