RUG students nominated as the most innovative students in the Netherlands

Master's student in Marketing Data Sciences Erwin Wiersma and graduate bachelor's student in AI and Philosophy Ark Deliev have been nominated by Quest and INNOVATE as the most innovative students in the Netherlands. On Thursday October 2nd, the finalists will present their projects live at the brand-new Act Eventstudios at Cleantech Park in Arnhem. Together with six other finalists, they will compete for the desired title and a prize package.

Who is Erwin Wiersma?

UG student Erwin Wiersma is co-founder of Ardion, a platform that helps organisations use artificial intelligence in a responsible manner. 

Erwin is originally from Friesland. He has been living in Groningen for four years, where he completed his Bachelor's degree in Commercial Economics at the University of Groningen. He is currently in the final phase of his Master's degree in Marketing Data Sciences at the Faculty of Economics and Business. Wiersma: ‘During my Bachelor's degree, I focused a lot on the commercial side, which I find a very interesting field. I have been programming since I was young and have always done it as a hobby. I found this Master's programme to be the perfect combination of marketing (the commercial side) and the technical aspects of programming.’

What lesson did you learn during this project that you would like to share with others?

‘Think carefully about what data and information you share with AI tools and accept from these tools.’

About Wiersma's Ardion project

Together with co-founder Jasper de Jong and various team members, Wiersma developed Ardion: a software solution that enables companies to use AI tools safely. Wiersma: 'Our tool directly translates AI policy into clear instructions and rules that employees see and experience when using AI tools. The advantage is that companies can use AI tools without running the risk of compromising the security of their data or failing to comply with regulations.'

‘We build the bridge between AI and responsibility.’

What makes your innovation unique or special?

'We spoke to many people from the business community about our solution. We not only looked at what management is looking for, but also at how employees use AI tools. We found that everyone has their own way of working and favourite tools. Our solution has been developed in such a way that employees can use any AI tool however they like, while at the same time ensuring that this is done in a safe and responsible manner that suits the type of company.'

How did you come up with the idea?

'To be honest, the “idea” didn't just pop into my head; the solution only came after I identified the problem. The biggest trigger for me was all the stories we heard about data breaches caused by the unsafe use of AI tools. One example of this is an employee at a GP practice who sent a patient's medical file to an unsecured AI chatbot, resulting in a data breach. We were immediately convinced that this really shouldn't be allowed to happen and that we had to develop something that would make it safe.'

What was the biggest challenge during the development of your project?

'For us, it's mainly about convincing people that there is another way. Companies traditionally tend to develop policies and rules and then communicate them to their employees through a single channel. However, with the speed at which new developments are emerging in the field of AI, drafting and communicating policies is often too slow. Our tool directly translates rules and policies into clear instructions that remain relevant, even when new tools are introduced.'

What do you hope your innovation can achieve in the world?

‘Our mission is to become the standard for working safely with AI. In doing so, we strive for the perfect balance between the convenience that AI offers and the responsibility to keep it safe for both ourselves and others.

We are currently in talks with various companies to implement our solution. We hope to find even more companies in the near future that we can help with our solution.'

Read more about Erwin Wiersma’s project Ardion via their website ardion.io 

Who is Ark Deliev?

UG graduate student Ark Deliev is co-founder of Edion, an AI workbench that strongly reduces the administrative burden on teachers, giving them more time for teaching. 

Ark Deliev completed his bachelor's degree in artificial intelligence at the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Groningen in 2025, together with a bachelor's degree in philosophy. Deliev: ‘I am passionate about transforming education through thoughtful technology and believe that teachers should spend their time teaching, not on administrative tasks. This belief led me to co-found Edion, where we focus on how AI can solve real problems in education rather than just adding more complexity.’ (Source: LinkedIn)

About Deliev’s project Edion

(text adapted from innovate.community)

Deliev and his team are developing Edion, a comprehensive teacher's workbench specifically designed for education. Their goal? Solve the problem that generic AI tools like ChatGPT are too unfocused for teachers.

The Edion team asked 523 education professionals about their experiences with AI tools. Two-thirds of them find it difficult to create sufficiently differentiated teaching materials, while only 1 in 5 teachers are satisfied with existing generic tools due to their unfocused, non-educational design.

Edion’s AI workbench for teachers consists of domain-specific tools fine-tuned for education. Deliev: 'Unlike generic platforms, our workbench understands curriculum structures, pedagogical requirements, and educational contexts.' The workbench’s toolbox consists of:

• a ‘Query Response System’ for accessing educational content,

• an ‘Exercise Generation Engine’ for personalized learning materials,

• a 'personalized quiz creator',

• an 'academic progress reporting tool'. 

The first pilot results seem promising. The team reports a strong reduction in administrative workload while maintaining educational quality, giving teachers more time to focus on teaching.

What distinguishes your idea from existing solutions?

'Our breakthrough is using fine-tuned models specifically optimized for educational content.

Unlike US commercial platforms focused on broad consumer markets or existing educational platforms using outdated rule-based logic, we’ve created a European human-centered approach that enhances rather than replaces teacher capabilities, specifically designed for the complex, nuanced needs of real educational environments.'

What’s next?

Deliev is currently performing a pilot across several schools from Edion’s research network, focusing on special needs education, where pain points are highest.

Following successful pilots, the team hopes to scale to a total of 32 schools while securing seed funding based on proven metrics. 'We’re also developing strategic partnerships with existing learning management system providers for broader market access.'

Read more about Ark Deliev’s project Edion via their website https://www.edion.io/