EAIF newsletter
European AI Forum (EAIF) newsletter provide you on a monthly basis with insights, news and updates from the European AI ecosystem. AI regulation and EU policy, national AI activities, upcoming events.
In this 2025 March newsletter you can find the following topics:
European AI Forum delegation in Brussels & publication of study on European AI standards
European AI Standards Technical Standardization and Implementation Challenges under the EU AI Act
Croatian AI Landscape
AI Trends Report
Save the date 11th European AI Forum in Gdansk
European AI Forum delegation in Brussels & publication of study on European AI standards
Last week, a delegation from the European AI Forum, including our President Daniel Abbou and Vice Presidents Piotr Mieczkowski and Marloes Pomp, travelled to Brussels to discuss topical issues such as the implementation of the AI Act, European digital sovereignty and AI infrastructure with key policymakers from the European Parliament and the European Commission. One thing is clear: while the AI Act is in place, its implementation remains a challenge.
Key Takeaways:
1️⃣ AI Act Implementation: Compliance must be accessible, especially for SMEs, to ensure that regulation encourages innovation.
2️⃣ Harmonised standards: Expected AI standards are far from ready, creating further regulatory uncertainty for European AI companies.
3️⃣ Fear of AI compliance: Better communication is needed to reduce fears within the AI ecosystem about AI regulation.
European AI Standards Technical Standardization and Implementation Challenges under the EU AI Act
The AI Act has been in force for some time – however, its successful implementation depends crucially on harmonized technical standards. If these are designed in a practical way, they can serve as a model for global AI regulation. Failure to do so will result in years of very costly compliance projects, especially for SMEs and startups.
Together with the General Catalyst Institute, under the leadership of our board member Dr. Robert Kilian, we surveyed 23 leading European companies and organizations – including Mistral AI, Xayn, and Helsing. The result: The current standardization process is too complex and too expensive.
📌 Three key findings:
1️⃣ The planned ~30 (partially referenced) standards cannot be implemented in a few months. Realistically, at least 12 more months are needed for implementation.
2️⃣ SMEs have hardly any resources for standardization - large players dominate the process. 3️⃣ Compliance costs: Even smaller companies expect up to €200,000 per year for the AI Act alone. Without targeted funding, innovation is at risk.
📖 The study was also published today by OECD.AI.
‼️ Robert Kilian on the publication: "In addition to harmonizing and revising EU digital files, we must focus on implementing existing laws to significantly reduce the regulatory burden on companies. There is enormous potential and an urgent need to utilize the scope for implementation provided by the legislature, especially in technical standardization."
A big thank you goes to the authors of the study: Dr. Robert Kilian, Linda M. Jaeck, and Dominik Ebel!
Croatian AI Landscape
One of our founding members, CroAI (Croatian AI Association), just launched the first interactive map of the Croatian AI ecosystem.
This dynamic, open map showcases 500+ organizations, startups, research teams, and initiatives shaping Croatia’s AI landscape; an impressive example of what a focused national ecosystem can achieve.
🧠 In just five years, the Croatian AI community has more than doubled
💸 Over €140 million invested in the past 12 months
🏢 100+ AI startups, 50+ solution providers
📈 Traditional industries like banking, telecoms and consulting are entering the AI space
At EAIF - European AI Forum, our mission is to help shape how AI is built and governed across Europe, bringing together entrepreneurs and policymakers to define the future of European AI innovation.
The map is a model for how national ecosystems can organize, showcase, and accelerate their AI efforts.
Estonia sets the global standard for AI in education
Estonia is about to make the next big jump in education by initiating a program to incorporate cutting-edge artificial intelligence applications into its education system. The AI Leap 2025 program will provide Estonian students and teachers with access to AI-based educational tools and teach them the most effective ways to use them. Starting this fall, an initial cohort of 20,000 high school students in 10th and 11th grades will get access to these AI applications, and 3,000 teachers will undergo training to learn how to use them best. The program will later be expanded to more high school students and vocational schools.
AI Trends Report
The AI Trends Report 2025 by statworx and AI Hub Frankfurt outlines 16 pivotal trends shaping the global AI landscape across innovation, regulation, education, technology, and business. Backed by insights from over 60 industry leaders—including top executives from Microsoft Germany, Deutsche Bahn, Google, and more—the report highlights emerging developments such as AI agents reshaping the job market, low-code tools democratizing software development, and the rise of AI avatars. It also sheds light on Europe’s critical role in the global AI race, urging strategic action to remain competitive. The report is available as a free download, offering practical recommendations and expert perspectives for organizations navigating AI transformation.
Save the date 11th European AI Forum in Gdansk
On 17-18 June 2025, the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union, in a close collaboration with the European Commission, is organizing the Digital Summit dedicated to digital transformation, innovation & competitiveness, digital skills, AI continent, quantum technologies and access to capital, with special emphasis on the role of SMEs and Scale-Ups. The Summit will gather high-level EU27 governmental officials (ministerial level), MEPs, CEOs, CTOs, tech & trade associations as well as non-governmental sector from across the EU. On 16 June 2025, as a pree-event of the Summit, we will host the 11th edition of the European AI Forum.
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