European Commission launches two strategies to accelerate AI adoption in industry and science

The European Commission has unveiled two new strategies to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in European industry and science. Through the 'Apply AI' and 'AI in Science Strategy' initiatives, the EU intends to establish Europe as a leader in the development of trustworthy AI and encourage its use in business, research, and the public sector.

Goal: Europe as a leading location for trustworthy AI

‘I want the future of AI to be made in Europe,’ said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. ‘Because when AI is used, we can find smarter, faster, and more affordable solutions. AI adoption needs to be widespread, and with these strategies, we will help speed up the process. Putting AI first also means putting safety first. We will drive this ‘AI first' mindset across all our key sectors, from robotics to healthcare, energy and automotive.’

These strategies form part of the Commission‘s ongoing action plan for the AI continent and strengthening Europe's role as a global leader in research, innovation and sustainable technology development.

Apply AI: Applying artificial intelligence in key industries

The Apply AI Strategy focuses on accelerating the adoption of AI in strategic sectors such as healthcare, energy, mobility, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, communications, culture and public administration. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will also receive targeted support.

Key measures of the strategy:

• Funding: The provision of around 1 billion euros to promote AI-supported projects in industry and administration.
• Healthcare: The establishment of AI screening centres to improve diagnostics and prevention.
• Frontier AI Initiative: Promotion of innovative applications in manufacturing, the environment and pharmaceuticals.
• Infrastructure & Data: Faster market launch through closer integration of data, computing power and testing facilities.
• Skills: Development the skills needed to make Europe's workforce ‘AI-ready’.
• Networks & hubs: Expanding Digital Innovation Hubs into Experience Centres for AI, that offer companies access to testing environments and expert networks.
• Governance: The establishment of the Apply AI Alliance as a platform for exchange between industry, academia, the public sector and civil society.
• Monitoring: The establishment of an AI observatory to analyse trends and impacts in various industries.

An AI Act Service Desk has also been set up to support the implementation of the new European AI Act.

AI in Science Strategy: Keeping Europe at the forefront of AI-based research

At the same time, the AI in Science Strategy is strengthening Europe's scientific excellence. At the heart is this strategy is the new virtual institute RAISE (Resource for AI Science in Europe), which pools and coordinates AI resources for research and innovation.

Key measures:

• Excellence and talent: £58 million for networks of excellence and doctoral networks to train and promote the best AI talent.
• Computing power: €600 million from Horizon Europe to expand of high-performance computing capacities in research.
• Research funding: The anual investment in AI will double over 3 billion euros, particularly for AI applications in science.
• Data infrastructure: Support for the development, selection and integration of high-quality data sets for AI-supported research.

The Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) is providing support in the form of technical assessments and sectoral analyses, as well as a new report on the impact of AI scientific research.

Next steps: Data Union and AI Summit

In order to realise the full potential of AI, the Commission intends to publish a Data Union Strategy by the end of October, with the aim of improving access to high-quality data for businesses, administrations and research institutions.

Another milestone will be the AI Summit in Science on 3–4 November 2025 in Copenhagen, organised jointly with the Danish Presidency. Key initiatives such as the RAISE pilot project and new cooperation programmes with the private sector will be presented there.

Further information can be found here.

Significance for research and innovation in Bavaria

These strategies offer Bavarian universities, research institutions and companies new opportunities, including access to European funding, computing resources and networks to develop AI solutions for industry, society and science.

The Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR) is here to help you take advantage of these opportunities, particularly within the framework of the Horizon Europe and Digital Europe programmes.