The Apply AI Strategy is the practice-oriented implementation instrument of the EU AI Continent Action Plan. Its goal is to bring artificial intelligence from the concept phase into broad application in business and the public sector. It advances dissemination by supporting concrete use cases in key industries, fostering cooperation between research, business, and policy, and ensuring that new infrastructures and policy measures deliver measurable impact.
This position paper contains concrete recommendations on how the European Apply AI Strategy can become a driver for the widespread adoption of AI in central sectors. Among the demands are improved access to computing capacity and high-quality data through open AI factories, gigafactories, and interoperable European data spaces. Equally central are innovation-friendly regulation and EU-wide regulatory sandboxes to reduce complexity and enable scalability.
In addition, measures are highlighted to attract and retain AI talent, integrate AI into key industries such as healthcare, mobility, energy, and manufacturing, and promote edge AI for real-time, privacy-friendly, and energy-efficient applications. Open AI (open source) is intended to strengthen transparency and competitiveness, while targeted incentives should accelerate the scaling of AI in practice. A stronger contribution from the European Digital Innovation Hubs is necessary to provide technical, legal, and sector-specific support.
The overarching goal: to build a secure, competitive, and sustainable European AI ecosystem that brings tangible benefits to industry, public services, and society.
