  In the context of spin foam models for quantum gravity, group field theories
are a useful tool allowing on the one hand a non-perturbative formulation of
the partition function and on the other hand admitting an interpretation as
generalized matrix models. Focusing on 2d group field theories, we review their
explicit relation to matrix models and show their link to a class of
non-commutative field theories invariant under a quantum deformed 3d Poincare
symmetry. This provides a simple relation between matrix models and
non-commutative geometry. Moreover, we review the derivation of effective 2d
group field theories with non-trivial propagators from Boulatov's group field
theory for 3d quantum gravity. Besides the fact that this gives a simple and
direct derivation of non-commutative field theories for the matter dynamics
coupled to (3d) quantum gravity, these effective field theories can be
expressed as multi-matrix models with non-trivial coupling between matrices of
different sizes. It should be interesting to analyze this new class of
theories, both from the point of view of matrix models as integrable systems
and for the study of non-commutative field theories.
