Patrick van der Smagt is a prominent figure in the field of machine learning and neuroscience, currently serving as the Founding Director at etami and a Research Professor at Eötvös Loránd University. With a history of impactful roles, Patrick holds a position as a member of the Research and Innovation Advisory Group (RIAG) at EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and is a faculty member at LMU Munich's Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences. Patrick's academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Mathematics and Computer Sciences from the University of Amsterdam and a Ph.D. in theoretical biophysics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.