Source: European Parliament
The Commission oversees several actions to make the EU a leading player in artificial intelligence (AI) and increase competitiveness.
Support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is delivered via two initiatives of the Digital Europe Programme (DEP)[1]: European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs)[2] and Testing Experimentation Facilities (TEFs)[3].
Over 150 EDIHs have delivered over 20 000 services to SMEs to support their digitalisation and use of AI. TEFs in four sectors ( healthcare, manufacturing, smart cities and agri-food) help SMEs test AI. The Commission has financed the AI on Demand Platform[4] to help SMEs access AI tools and datasets.
In addition, at the Action Summit in Paris, the Commission launched InvestAI, an initiative to mobilise EUR 200 billion for AI investment[5] including a new European fund of EUR 20 billion for AI gigafactories needed to allow open, collaborative development of AI models and to make Europe an AI continent.
The Chips Act[6] aims to address semiconductor shortages and strengthen Europe’s technological leadership. It mobilises over EUR 43 billion of investments for manufacturing facilities to ensure resilience of the Union’s semiconductor sector.
Regarding company law, the Commission is preparing a proposal for a 28th regime which will simplifies applicable rules. An EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy will also address obstacles preventing new companies from emerging and scaling.
From 2021 to 2027[7], over EUR 4 billion of EU funding is available for AI research and innovation activities under Horizon Europe[8] and DEP[9].
A Commission recommendation[10] encourages businesses to make use of data-analysis, automated recognition and machine learning to detect counterfeits online.
To limit the impact of energy prices the Commission will present an Action Plan on Affordable Energy.
- [1] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/digital-programme
- [2] https://european-digital-innovation-hubs.ec.europa.eu/edih-catalogue
- [3] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/testing-and-experimentation-facilities
- [4] https://www.ai4europe.eu
- [5] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_467
- [6] Regulation (EU) 2023/1781 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2023 establishing a framework of measures for strengthening Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/694 (Chips Act) (OJ L 229, 18.9.2023, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1781/oj).
- [7] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/european-ai-research
- [8] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en
- [9] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/digital-programme
- [10] Commission Recommendation on measures to combat counterfeiting and enhance the enforcement of intellectual property rights: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/publications/commission-recommendation-measures-combat-counterfeiting-and-enhance-enforcement-intellectual_en