Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming how businesses operate, reshaping public services, and revolutionising science. AI has the potential to improve our lives in many ways. As the global race to harness its potential heats up, the European Commission has put forward two strategies that will help Europe stay ahead in AI industry and science respectively.
The Apply AI Strategy sets out how to speed up the use of AI in key industries and the public sector. It will be used to help the EU unlock its societal benefits – from more accurate healthcare diagnoses to enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of public services. The strategy also addresses some of the key challenges by
- accelerating time-to-market – the time from concept to availability on the market – through linking infrastructure, data, and testing facilities
- strengthening the EU workforce to be AI-ready across sectors
- bringing together Europe’s leading AI actors through a new Frontier AI initiative
To coordinate this work, the Commission is launching the Apply AI Alliance, a forum bringing together industry, the public sector, academia, social partners and civil society. Meanwhile, an AI Observatory will monitor AI trends and assess sectorial impacts.
In parallel, the Commission has launched the AI Act Service Desk to help ensure smooth implementation of the AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive AI law.
Alongside Apply AI, the AI in Science Strategy focuses on putting the EU at the forefront of AI-driven research and scientific innovation. At its centre is RAISE – the Resource for AI Science in Europe – a virtual European institute that pools and coordinates AI resources for developing AI and applying it in science.
Strategic actions include
- measures to attract global scientific talent and highly skilled professionals to ‘Choose Europe‘
- €600 million from Horizon Europe to enhance access to computational power for science, which will secure access to AI gigafactories for EU researchers and startups
- plans for doubling Horizon Europe’s annual investments in AI to over €3 billion, including doubling funding for AI in science
- support for scientists to identify strategic data gaps and gather, curate, and integrate the datasets needed for AI in science
Back in April 2025, the Commission launched the AI Continent Action Plan, a plan that set the path for Europe to become a global leader in AI. The Apply AI and the AI in Science strategies are the next step in delivering this ambition and in positioning the EU to accelerate the use of AI in key sectors and science.
For more information
