On the collaboration of the European AI-on-Demand Platform with key European AI Innovation initiatives; the case of European Digital Innovation Hubs and AI Factories

The European Union (EU) has invested significantly in advancing artificial intelligence (AI) through a series of interrelated initiatives, including one-stop-shop projects such as the European Digital Innovation Hubs and the AI Factories and a flagship infrastructure development initiative, the AI-on-Demand Platform. This paper argues that fostering collaboration between these initiatives is essential to maximise their collective impact, encourage cross-fertilisation of activities, and strengthen Europe’s AI ecosystem. We explore the collaboration dimensions, ranging from technical to business and knowledge-oriented, highlighting the identified pathways and their prospective benefits for the involved initiatives. Subsequently, we identify some of the challenges for the implementation of the pathways and present indicative customer journeys where the EU initiatives use the Platform as part of their service offering. Finally, we provide some strategic recommendations that would enable the adoption of the pathways and address the challenges. The findings aim to guide policymakers and initiative leaders in shaping a more interconnected and effective AI landscape where synergies allow the cross-fertilisation of individual activities funded by the EU.