ASEF Podcast ASEF Podcast

In this episode, we discuss computer vision, distinguishing it from computer graphics, and delve into the challenges of 3D computer vision. We also examine the current state of autonomous driving research and discuss deepfakes.
We host two experts in the field:
Žan Gojčič a senior research scientist at Nvidia, with a research focus is on 3D deep learning, weakly supervised learning, and domain adaptation.Aljoša Osep a senior research scientist at Nvidia, working on learning to understand the dynamic world from raw and unlabeled streams of sensory data.Timestamps:
1:30: What initially drew you to the field you are currently in, and what continues to motivate you in your research? 
6:35: Studying abroad
14:38: Why did you decide to go into industry instead of staying in academia?
20:02: What is computer vision (and the difference between computer vision and computer graphics) and what are some common applications of computer vision in today's world?
24:10: 3D computer vision and What needs to be “synthesized” to create a realistic scene?
27:09: Challenges in the filed
20:31: Current state of research in autonomous driving and challenges 
42:50: Deepfakes
49:34: Emerging trends, open problems
56:18: Book recommendations and closing words

In this episode, we dive into another part of the technology transfer and entrepreneurship ecosystem - venture capital (VC) and business angels. We discuss the different VC funds in Slovenia, how startups should approach funding, opportunities and challenges in the local area, as well as success stories in the region, and perspectives abroad. We host three experts from the Slovenian venture capital scene:
Nina Dremelj, Managing Partner at Vesna deep-tech Fund, President of Slovenian Business Angels, and Board Member of the European Business Angels NetworkGregor Rebolj, serial entrepreneur and investor, co-founder of Klika, Sportradar, and 1Home, as well as founding partner of Silicon GardensRok Habinc, partner at Pan-Adria Partners, previously partner at STH Ventures Fund, and active business angel and Board member at Business Angels of Slovenia.Timestamps:
Venture Capital 101: What is VC and how does it support startups? (1:30)VC landscape in Slovenia: Insights into Slovenian funds and their focus areas. (06:03)Differences between VC funds: What should startups look for? (18:05)Accelerators and Incubators: Early entrepreneurial education and wider ecosystem (27:33)Scaling and foreign capital: How does a local startup scale and seek funding abroad (37:25)Challenges in Slovenia: policy, legislation, and culture (47:40)Opportunities and success stories: what the region is good at and achievements (1:03:30)Global perspectives: Practical examples and best practices to learn from. (1:12:10)Advice for young founders: Insights on fundraising, mentorship, and determining investment readiness. (1:18:52)

In this episode we talk about University Spin-Outs. How is it different from a “classic” start-up? What is the process of founding a univesity spin-out in Slovenia?


We look at the journey of two such companies: prof. Tomaž Skrbinšek presents DIVJALabs, where they work on molecular genetics and bioinformatics for biodiversity conservation and research, while Blaž Zoubek, PhD, tells us about SPEKTRAL - the structural engineering and consulting company, both spin-outs from the University of Ljubljana.


The host of ASEF Podcast’s Business & Technology vertical is Frenk Dragar, a Master's Student of Artificial Intelligence at Utrecht University. He was an ASEF Fellow 2023 with Dr. Gašper Beguš at UC Berkeley.

In this episode, we host Dr. Jure Knez, Founder of Dewesoft, a world-leading hi-tech company for test and measurement solutions, and vice-president of the Slovenian Business Club.  We talked with Dr. Knez to gain insights about the company's origins, the role of artificial intelligence in test and measurement tools, his views on entrepreneurship, his role and vision regarding the Katapult startup environment, and the main challenges entrepreneurs and companies face in Slovenia. In addition, we get to know Slovenia's main competitive advantages and how the Slovenian business environment can be improved.

In this episode, we host Katarina Van Der Linden, an accomplished Slovenian musician currently residing and working in Australia. Katarina pursued her music education at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Before immigrating to Australia in 2015, she taught in various primary, high, and music schools in Slovenia. Her music education started in Dravograd and continued in Žalec, Velenje, and Ljubljana. She studied saxophone, piano, and music pedagogy. While teaching at Rudolf Maister High School in Kamnik, she co-wrote a curriculum for harmonica, which she has been playing for many years. She also writes poetry in Slovenian and English, and her works were published in various Celjsko and Saleško literarno društvo publications. One of her latest poems TU-JI-NA was made into a choir piece. The music was written by a young Slovenian composer, Uršula Jašovec, and was premiered at Slovenska Filharmonija in October 2023.

In this episode, we host three guests related to healthcare in Slovenia:
Dr. Alenka Kolar, Director of the General Directorate for Digitalisation in Healthcare, SloveniaGašper Čehovin, Managing Director and Partner of Parsek, a company developing a multi-purpose platform for supporting integrated care aiming to reduce administrative burden in the healthcare sector significantlyFederico Potočnik, dr. med., a physician specializing in infectious diseases and a graduate of the Stanford MSx ProgramIn this episode, we explore the state of healthcare deliverance in Slovenia and discuss how public versus private healthcare models may pave the way for future healthcare deliverance.  In absorbing three valuable perspectives in the transformation process, we gain insight into the numerous factors impacting healthcare transformation into the digital age. Join us in this conversation!
 
The ASEF Podcast host is David Turk, an ASEF Fellow 2020 from the Visiting Slovenia program.