The European Commission has unveiled the raise initiative (Resource for AI Science in Europe) in Dublin, a new tool designed to strengthen the use of artificial intelligence in scientific research and enhance Europe’s technological competitiveness. The announcement was made during the European AI in Science Summit 2026, which brings together researchers, business representatives, investors, and policymakers.
The initiative aims to mobilise resources from private companies and philanthropic organisations to complement public funding for research. Its primary goal is to enable the European scientific community to access advanced technologies and tools that are often out of reach for universities and research centres due to high costs or complexity.
Key partnerships with major tech companies
Among the first organisations to announce collaborative commitments are Nvidia, Google DeepMind, Mistral AI, Elsevier, Sanofi, Frontiers, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Their contributions may include access to advanced AI models, computing infrastructure, datasets, scientific software licenses, cloud services, and specialised training programmes.
Unlike other European instruments focused primarily on grants, raise also seeks to mobilise in-kind contributions, allowing companies to directly offer their technological capabilities to the research community. The European Commission believes this collaboration will foster closer ties between the scientific and business sectors, promoting knowledge exchange, new alliances, and the development of innovative solutions.
The initiative remains open to new participants, although interested organisations must commit to specific and sustained contributions that advance the application of AI in science beyond their immediate commercial interests.
Collaboration between Mistral AI and CERN
One of the most notable announcements within the raise framework is the collaboration between European company Mistral AI and CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research. Both entities have announced a partnership to develop what aims to be the largest foundational AI model specialised in physics. The project seeks to leverage CERN's scientific expertise and Mistral AI's technological capabilities to advance tools capable of addressing complex scientific problems. This collaboration exemplifies the philosophy driving raise: connecting European research excellence with the innovative capacity of the tech industry to accelerate scientific progress.
New platforms to connect researchers and businesses
The European Commission has also announced the launch of three tools designed to strengthen the European ecosystem of AI applied to research. These are the raise Hub, raise Forum, and raise Observatory, three complementary platforms that will gather information, resources, scientific communities, and data on the evolution of AI in European science.
The raise Hub will serve as a gateway to information and resources related to the initiative, while the raise Forum will facilitate interaction among various stakeholders in the scientific and technological ecosystem. The raise Observatory will contribute to collecting information and evidence on the development and application of these technologies. Through these tools, Brussels aims to reduce the fragmentation of available resources and encourage greater cooperation among scientific institutions, businesses, and organisations across different member states.
Updated guidelines for responsible AI use in research
The Dublin summit also served to present a new update of the European guidelines on the responsible use of generative AI in scientific research. This revision, the most extensive to date, incorporates practical guidance for researchers and scientific organisations on the transparent, responsible, and ethical use of these technologies. Among the updates is the consideration of agentic AI, which refers to systems capable of executing tasks and developing processes with certain levels of autonomy.
The recommendations aim to ensure that the incorporation of these tools into research activities is conducted in accordance with principles of scientific integrity, transparency, and accountability, without compromising the quality or reliability of results. The European Commission believes that establishing shared criteria is essential to harness the potential of AI while preserving trust in scientific research.
A strategic commitment to European scientific competitiveness
The launch of raise is part of a broader strategy by the European Union to strengthen its technological autonomy and improve its international standing in the development and application of artificial intelligence. The European AI in Science Strategy, approved in October 2025, is linked to the Action Plan for the AI Continent and the Apply AI strategy, aimed at accelerating the adoption of these technologies in strategic economic and industrial sectors.
The European Commission believes that AI can transform the way research is conducted, facilitating the analysis of large volumes of information, identifying complex patterns, and exploring new scientific hypotheses. During the European AI in Science Summit 2026, applications in areas such as health, physics, mathematics, data management, culture, creativity, and the development of AI technologies are being discussed.
The raise initiative will be subject to annual evaluation, and the commitments made by participating organisations, along with the progress achieved, will be presented at future editions of the summit. With this new tool, the European Union aims to consolidate a more connected, competitive scientific ecosystem prepared to seize the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence, promoting sustained collaboration between public research, the tech industry, and funding entities.
