EIT Digital supports EU AI-on-demand platform in two winning projects

EIT Digital has recently successfully joined the winning bids for two EU calls in the area of Artificial Intelligence.

The EU is advancing its efforts to establish an AI ecosystem of excellence. One pillar of this strategy is the creation of an AI on-demand repository of experts, tools, and services that are supported by a set of distributed platforms. These platforms shall serve as a resource for the research community to support the European AI model based on the principles of Trustworthy AI.

Until the end of 2025, the project AIforEurope will support and facilitate a sustainable digital platform and experimentation environment through the creation of open research channels and mechanisms that foster the European academic and industrial AI research ecosystem, maximise its academic, social, and industrial impact, and seamlessly integrates other projects, platforms, and solutions.

The platform will showcase state-of-the-art science being developed by leading AI research centres and laboratories, tackling topics including Human Centered AI, Explainable AI, AI for Good etc. Particular focus will be given to the trustworthiness of resources and the ethical design of hosted AI tools. The platform thereby provides an ecosystem of trust within which public bodies and companies can uptake the assets produced by researchers.

The consortium, led by University College Cork, has secured €9 million from the European Union for AIforEurope. With its ecosystem of more than 300 top European academic institutions, corporates, and RTOs, EIT Digital will focus on supporting governance processes, sustainability and participatory engagement in the project.

AIforEurope has a distinctive focus on the AI research community, yet the AI-on-demand platform shall in the future also serve a broader stakeholder audience, including SMEs, industrial sectors, and public administrations. The nine-month project Pre-PAI, run by a consortium of 22 partners from 11 European countries, will provide a blueprint for the further development, deployment, and operation of the European AI-on-demand platform.

It will carry out a comprehensive requirement analysis for different stakeholder groups, leading to an overall roadmap and plan to build and consolidate the AI-on-demand platform. It includes a comprehensive concept to provide assets to the platform that support European leadership on trustworthy AI and that offer AI “Made in Europe”. Furthermore, Pre-PAI will prepare the connection of the AI-on-demand platform with important DIGITAL Europe initiatives, like TEFs (Testing and Experimentation Facilities) and E-DIHs (European Digital Innovation Hubs), both on a technical and governance level.

The project will prepare the connection of the AI-on-demand platform with relevant infrastructure elements of DIGITAL, namely Cloud/Edge/HPC resources and data spaces. This will strengthen the central role of the European AI-on-demand platform in the DIGITAL programme. The preparatory action has a clear focus to meet the needs of industrial and productive users and the European industry. Pre-PAI will also address the needs of public administrations by providing guidelines and an AI tool map for procurement processes. Finally, Pre-PAI will create a concept and plan for the sustainability of the platform including business perspectives and values. This will lead to a trustful, sustainable, and user-oriented platform for European industry and society.

EIT Digital’s contributions to aforementioned projects in support of the European AI-on-demand platform build on existing competence in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Not at last, EIT Digital takes a leading role in coordinating the work of the EIT Artificial Intelligence Community.

In this community, EIT Digital joined forces with fellow Innovation Communities EIT Health, EIT Manufacturing, EIT ClimateKIC, EIT InnoEnergy and EIT Food to foster collaboration in education about Artificial Intelligence and support AI uptake by European enterprises and society. The community’s work has three clearly defined goals:

• Leverage AI for economic benefits while securing European values
• Educate on AI for society and workforce to be ready for new challenges
• Engage in the shaping the development of AI policies and regulations

This Cross KIC initiative positions the EIT Community as one of the major players and thought leaders on AI in Europe.