After years of discussion about risks and regulations, the time has come to take action. With its new Apply AI Strategy, the European Commission no longer wants to simply regulate artificial intelligence, but above all to use it in practice, in the economy, and in the public domain. The goal: to accelerate AI applications in strategic sectors while making Europe less dependent on American and Chinese technology.
In the previous sections, we discussed the rules (section 1: AI Act), the infrastructure (section 2: the computing power behind it), and supervision (section 3: the new AI Office). In concrete terms, this means that Europe now knows what is allowed, where it can be implemented, and who is monitoring it. This fourth section deals with the next step: implementation. With the new Apply AI Strategy, the EU wants artificial intelligence to be not only responsible, but also visible, in factories, hospitals, and government services.
The core of the new strategy is action. Whereas the AI Act told companies what they cannot do, Apply AI mainly tells them what they can do. The Commission is allocating €1 billion from Horizon Europe and Digital Europe to launch concrete AI projects. These are applications with immediate visibility: self-learning production processes in industry, AI-supported screening in healthcare, smart networks for energy and mobility, and automated risk assessments in defense and agriculture.
The European ambition is clear: AI must not only be developed, but also utilized. That requires more than just subsidies. Apply AI focuses on testing facilities, standardization, and collaboration between public institutions and companies. Brussels wants to encourage an "AI first" mentality in sectors that have been hesitant until now. Instead of marginal pilot projects, AI must become part of Europe's industrial foundation.
Apply AI is more than an innovation program. By developing its own applications, datasets, and infrastructures, Europe wants to maintain control over its technological future. Less dependent on foreign Big Tech, more focused on European values and standards. This idea is reinforced by parallel initiatives, such as the new €180 million Cloud Sovereignty Framework, with which the Commission is for the first time defining in concrete terms what 'digital sovereignty' means in practice.
For years, Europe has presented itself as the ethical regulator of the digital world. But policy without implementation is of little value. With Apply AI, the focus is shifting from principle to practice. The Commission wants the first projects to be up and running as early as 2026, funded through Horizon Europe and Digital Europe, with co-financing from member states and private partners.
Apply AI offers immediate opportunities for Dutch companies and knowledge institutions. The EU is looking for partners for sector-specific AI applications in healthcare, energy, transport, and agri-food. The first calls for proposals will be published in the coming months. Those who contribute their ideas now can influence the standards and systems that will be decisive in the coming years. It is therefore important that your message to the EU is clear and reaches the right people.
Would you like to know what Apply AI means for your organization or how you can participate in European projects? Please contact roel@castro.lu.