European Commission Accelerates AI Development through Apply AI and AI in Science Strategies

CZELO

The EU launches two new strategies to boost innovation, competitiveness, and the safe development of artificial intelligence.

The European Commission has launched two new strategies aimed at accelerating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) across European industry, the public sector, and scientific research. The Apply AI and AI in Science strategies are designed to strengthen Europe’s role as a global leader in AI, boost technological sovereignty, and enhance the competitiveness of the European economy. According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the future of AI should be made in Europe and by AI prioritisation, the safety is also going to be prioritised. 

Promoting AI Adoption Across Sectors 

The Apply AI Strategy focuses on accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence in key strategic sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy, mobility, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, defence, communications and culture. The goal is to foster innovation, increase efficiency, and improve the quality of public services. The Commission plans to allocate approximately €1 billion to support projects implementing AI in practice. Key measures include: 

  • establishing AI-powered advanced screening centres for healthcare, 

  • developing agentic AI models tailored to sectors such as manufacturing, environment, and pharmaceuticals, 

  • supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in integrating AI into their operations. 

The strategy also addresses cross-cutting challenges related to AI development. It aims to shorten time-to-market by better linking infrastructure, data, and testing facilities, while strengthening the EU workforce to be AI-ready across all sectors. It also launches the Frontier AI initiative, bringing together leading European researchers and innovators, and renews the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs, transforming them into Experience Centres for AI, specialised facilities providing companies with direct access to the EU’s AI innovation ecosystem. 

The strategy further includes the establishment of the Apply AI Alliance, a forum uniting industry, public sector, academia, and civil society. An AI Observatory will monitor developments across sectors and assess the impact of AI deployment. To ensure smooth implementation of the new regulatory framework, the AI Act Service Desk will support stakeholders in applying the EU AI Act. 

Strengthening Science and Research through AI 

The AI in Science Strategy focuses on leveraging AI in scientific research and positioning Europe at the forefront of AI-driven scientific innovation. Its key initiative, RAISE (Resource for AI Science in Europe), will act as a virtual European institute connecting research institutions, data resources, and computational infrastructures for AI-based scientific applications. 

The strategy introduces several flagship measures: 

  • attracting and developing scientific excellence and talent through networks of excellence and doctoral programmes with a budget of €58 million, 

  • investing €600 million from Horizon Europe to expand access to computational capacity for science, 

  • doubling Horizon’s Europe annual investments in AI research to over €3 billion, 

  • supporting the identification and management of strategic datasets necessary for training AI models in science. 

Europe in a New AI Era 

Later in October, the European Commission will present the European Data Union Strategy, designed to better align data policies with the needs of businesses, public administration and society. In November, the AI in Science Summit will take place in Copenhagen, showcasing key initiatives under the new strategy, including the RAISE pilot project. 

Together, Apply AI and AI in Science represent another major step in implementing the AI Continent Action Plan, which aims to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, ensure responsible use of artificial intelligence, and maximise its benefits for citizens, science, and the economy. 

The full text of both strategies is available on the European Commission’s website.