The European Commission has unveiled two new strategies to accelerate the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across Europe, aiming to position the EU at the forefront of AI-driven industry and scientific research. The Apply AI Strategy focuses on expanding the use of AI in key industries and the public sector, while the AI in Science Strategy aims to enhance Europe’s capabilities in AI-driven scientific innovation. These initiatives are part of the Commission’s broader AI Continent Action Plan, which seeks to establish Europe as a global leader in trustworthy and safe AI technologies.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that the strategies aim to make AI “made in Europe” the standard, enabling smarter, faster, and more cost-effective solutions across sectors including robotics, healthcare, energy, and automotive. Europe’s strong AI infrastructure, talent pool, research ecosystem, and collaborative scientific tradition provide a solid foundation for these strategies, which build on recent advances in supercomputing and AI-related industrial capacity.
The Apply AI Strategy targets strategic and public sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy, mobility, manufacturing, agri-food, defence, communications, and culture. It includes support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to integrate AI into their operations. Measures include AI-powered healthcare screening centres, development of sector-specific frontier models, and the deployment of AI Experience Centres through the European Digital Innovation Hubs network. The strategy mobilizes approximately €1 billion in funding and encourages an “AI first” approach to address societal challenges while carefully managing risks. To coordinate efforts, the Commission has launched the Apply AI Alliance, a forum of industry, public authorities, academia, and civil society, alongside an AI Observatory to monitor trends and sectoral impacts.
The AI in Science Strategy positions Europe as a hub for AI-driven research, centered on the RAISE initiative—a virtual European institute pooling AI resources for science. Key actions include attracting global scientific talent through Networks of Excellence and Doctoral Networks, expanding access to computational power with €600 million from Horizon Europe, increasing AI research funding to over €3 billion, and supporting scientists in identifying and integrating strategic datasets. The Commission’s Joint Research Centre contributes technical assessments, sector studies, and reports on AI’s impact on research practices.
Next steps include the presentation of a Data Union Strategy in late October 2025 to ensure seamless access to high-quality, structured data for businesses, public authorities, and society. Additionally, the AI in Science Summit, scheduled for 3–4 November 2025 in Copenhagen, will launch initiatives under the AI in Science Strategy, including the RAISE pilot and a private sector pledging campaign, further reinforcing Europe’s ambition to lead in AI innovation for both industry and science.
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