European Commission unveils 'Apply AI' strategy and ‘AI in Science’ strategy to accelerate AI adoption across strategic sectors across Europe
The European Commission has launched the 'Apply AI' strategy, a €1 billion initiative designed to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across ten strategic sectors, including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy, mobility, manufacturing, construction, agri-food, defence, communications, and culture. The strategy is intended as the deployment counterpart to the EU’s AI Act and further details key announcements made in the EU’s AI Continent Action Plan published on 9 April 2025. It is part of broader EU efforts to strengthen digital sovereignty and reduce dependence on non-EU technology providers.
Alongside, the European Commission has also announced its ‘AI in Science Strategy’ to position the EU as a place of AI-driven scientific innovation. This strategy centres on the establishment of RAISE – the Resource for AI Science in Europe.
‘APPLY AI’ STRATEGY
Key announcements from the ‘Apply AI Strategy’
- The strategy plans to leverage existing EU programmes, principally Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme, to finance concrete AI use cases
- Public investment of €1 billion is expected to attract further co-financing from Member States and private sector actors.
- There will be measures to support both large enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which currently lag behind in AI adoption. SMEs and mid-cap enterprises will have access to testing facilities, advisory services, and networks of Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) EDIHs will be refocused as “Experience Centres for AI” and will serve as single entry points to this AI ecosystem.
- In its annex document, the Commission has highlighted near-term projects across the strategic sectors. In healthcare, AI-enabled screening centres will be developed to support early diagnosis and personalised care (Q2 2027). In manufacturing, “agentic” AI will be deployed to optimise production lines and logistics (Q4 2026). Other applications include AI for climate monitoring (from Q4 2025), fast tracking autonomous mobility solutions (from Q2 2026), and data-driven support in pharmaceuticals and construction (see annex for dates associated with each specific projects).
- As announced in the AI Continent Action Plan, the Commission has established an AI Act Service Desk.to help companies comply with the EU AI Act. It offers a Compliance checker, an AI Act Explorer, and allows stakeholders to submit questions to a team of expert professionals.
Strategic Messaging
The narrative around the Apply AI strategy focuses on increasing AI adoption in European industry in order to remain competitive with global leaders, particularly the US and China, and to strengthen Europe’s position in the digital economy. By supporting AI development and deployment within Europe, the initiative seeks to enhance what the EU describes as technological sovereignty and reduce reliance on external suppliers for key AI technologies and infrastructure. This is embodied by the “buy European” approach which the strategy supports (particularly for the public sector) and the focus on open source AI solutions.
Implementation
The strategy will be governed through the Apply AI Alliance, a multi-stakeholder group including industry representatives, governments, and civil society organisations. An observatory will monitor the impact of AI adoption on sectoral performance, workforce requirements, and emerging technologies.
‘AI IN SCIENCE’ STRATEGY
If the ‘Apply AI’ strategy is the European focus on harnessing AI adoption across the region, ‘AI in Science’ is posed as its innovation counterpart that directs resources to the development and application of AI technologies in scientific research applications.
Key announcements from the ‘AI in Science’ Strategy
- €58 million has been allotted to train, retain, and attract scientific and AI talent through a RAISE pilot for networks of excellence and doctoral networks.
- €600 million are going to Horizon Europe for compute to secure dedicated access to AI gigafactories for startups and researchers.
- €3 billion is the new annual investment for Horizon Europe – doubling its funding for AI for science.
Strategic Messaging
The ‘AI in Science’ Strategy aims to position Europe as a key leader in aligning data policy, AI innovation, and science and research practices. It’s a concerted effort to attract high-quality talent from across Europe and the globe to focus on bespoke innovation alongside AI adoption – in essence focusing on the two pillars that can create a successful AI sector in Europe.
This is part of a ramping up of Europe’s focus on AI in Science as well. An upcoming AI in Science Summit will be hosted by the European Commission on 3-4 November in Copenhagen to bring together key policymakers, researchers, and industry to discuss the strategy, the RAISE pilot, and how to get the private sector involved.
What Both Mean for the UK AI Sector and Ecosystem
Both strategies could offer opportunities for the UK AI sector, though further details will be necessary to assess their full impact. Following the UK government’s announcement (through the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking) of a UK AI Antenna, UK-based firms and researchers should gain access to key elements of the developing AI ecosystem. The specific role the UK AI sector can play will likely vary depending on individual projects.
Of particular interest from the ‘AI in Science’ strategy is the dedicated influx of cash to Horizon Europe. As a member of Horizon Europe, the UK stands to benefit from this collaborative approach to growing investment for AI in science, shared compute power, and more. The EU’s communication on this strategy foresees cooperation with “relevant third countries” and “within existing framework”.
Clarity on the “buy European” approach outlined in the strategies will be crucial in defining the role UK industry will play. techUK will closely monitor the public procurement legislative developments expected from the European Commission in Q1 2026. For now, the EU’s AI Act service desk should facilitate EU AI Act compliance (for which key deadlines are still set for 2026) and avoid friction for UK firms operating in the EU.
Sectoral flagships including targeted measures to boost AI adoption across 10 key industry sectors and the public sector. The industrial sectors include healthcare and pharmaceuticals, mobility, transport and automotive, robotics, manufacturing, engineering and construction, climate and environment, energy, agri-food; defence, security and space, electronic communications, and cultural, creative and media sectors.
More Coming from Europe
Two key things remain in the pipeline:
- Data Union Strategy is expected to be announced late October. This strategy’s aim is to better align data policies with the needs of businesses, public sector, and society. TechUK gathered insights from members and submitted feedback during the consultation process in July 2025.
- AI in Science Summit is next month. As previously mentioned, it will bring together key policymakers, researchers, and industry to discuss the strategy, the RAISE pilot, and how to get the private sector involved
Added Notes
For further information, see the European Commission news release: Keeping European industry and science at the forefront of AI
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Kir Nuthi
Kir Nuthi
Kir Nuthi is the Head of AI and Data at techUK.
She holds over seven years of Government Affairs and Tech Policy experience in the US and UK. Kir previously headed up the regulatory portfolio at a UK advocacy group for tech startups and held various public affairs in US tech policy. All involved policy research and campaigns on competition, artificial intelligence, access to data, and pro-innovation regulation.
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Authors
Usman Ikhlaq
Usman joined techUK in January 2024 as Programme Manager for Artificial Intelligence.
Theo Maiziere
Theo joined techUK in 2024 as EU Policy Manager. Based in Brussels, he works on our EU policy and engagement.
Kir Nuthi
Kir Nuthi is the Head of AI and Data at techUK.