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 July newsletter you can find the following topics:
EAIF joined new members from Sweden, Albania, Georgia, Serbia
New excecutive board at EAIF
Baltic AIGigafactory - Steering Committee in Warsaw
Poland student won second international AI Olympiad
Lithuania-Poland AI opportunities event
EU language technologies could boost intra-EU trade by up to €360 billion, study shows
Call for submissions for 2nd European AI Awards
Updates from EAIF member countries
Editor's Picks:
EAIF joined new members from Sweden, Albania, Georgia, Serbia
The European AI Forum is expanding its network, welcoming AI Sweden as a full member alongside three new associated members: AI Albania, the Georgian Artificial Intelligence Association, and the Serbian AI Association. With these additions, EAIF now connects more than 2,000 AI innovators through 10 member organisations and 3 associated members, making it the largest AI alliance in Europe. This growth underscores EAIF’s commitment to cross-border collaboration and shared values of sovereignty, transparency, and responsibility, ensuring that Europe leads in developing trustworthy, human-centric AI for the benefit of all.
New excecutive board at EAIF
The European AI Forum has announced its newly elected Executive Board, bringing together experienced leaders from across the continent’s AI ecosystem. Daniel Abbou, General Manager of the German AI Association, will continue to serve as President; Chloé Plédel, Head of European and Regulatory Affairs at Hub France IA, takes on the role of Vice President alongside Piotr Mieczkowski, Managing Director of FDP and Board Member at KIGEIT; and Kaloyan Ratchev, Board Member of AI Bulgaria, will serve as Treasurer. Together, this diverse and accomplished team will steer EAIF’s mission to strengthen Europe’s AI leadership, foster cross-border collaboration, and shape impactful AI policies.
Baltic AIGigafactory - Steering Committee in Warsaw
On 27 August, representatives of Poland, the Baltic states and European partners met in Warsaw as part of the Baltic AIGigafactory Steering Committee.
During the meeting, key issues related to the development of the regional AI ecosystem were discussed, ranging from technology and infrastructure, through market and public sector needs, to the principles of cooperation within the consortium, including organisational, financial and legal issues.
It has been proposed to map state expenditure on AI in state-owned companies and administration and redirect it to a gigafactory, creating sovereign computing power for the Baltic states and Poland.
Poland student won second international AI Olympiad
Krzysztof Rojek, a self-taught high school student from Wrocław, Poland, won the second International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) in Beijing, outperforming over 280 competitors from 61 countries with a score of 542.05 points. The Adam Mickiewicz High School student’s victory, alongside Poland’s haul of three gold, three silver, and one bronze medal, marked a historic achievement, with the Polish team also securing first and third places in team events. Rojek, who honed his AI skills through trial and error over three years and attended lectures from top Polish universities, was praised by science popularizer Dr. Maciej Kawecki as contributing to one of Poland’s best-ever Olympiad performances.
Lithuania-Poland AI opportunities event
On 30 September 2025, Vilnius will host a unique event on artificial intelligence entitled: 'Poland and Lithuania - AI opportunities: global and regional trends, experts and SMEs perspective'
Date: 30.09.2025, 10:00 am - 1:30 pm
Where: Vilnius Branch of the University of Bialystok, Aguonų g. 22In the programme:
speeches by AI experts from Poland and Lithuania and presentation of the AI ecosystem
panel discussions on opportunities and challenges of AI
examples of application of artificial intelligence in business
networking lunch an opportunity to talk and make contacts
This is an excellent space for SMEs, researchers and business representatives to exchange knowledge, experience and build cooperation in the AI sector.AI companies and the IT sector are especially welcome.
EU language technologies could boost intra-EU trade by up to €360 billion, study shows
A recent study for the European Commission highlights the transformative potential of language technologies, projecting a boost to intra-EU trade by up to €360 billion and significant productivity gains. By enabling small and medium-sized enterprises to offer content in multiple languages, these technologies—particularly machine translation—could enhance cross-border trade by €300 billion for EU SMEs. The study emphasizes the need for extensive multilingual data to train AI models, noting that 70% of users prefer their native language when browsing online. The EU’s focus on data sovereignty and initiatives like the ALT-EDIC and Language Data Space, launched recently, aim to address data shortages, fostering accurate AI applications while promoting cultural and linguistic diversity across Europe.
Call for submissions for 2nd European AI Awards
🚀 The European AI Forum is thrilled to announce the call for applications for the 2025 European AI Awards! Following the success of the inaugural awards, this year’s edition will once again spotlight the brightest innovators, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem builders shaping Europe’s AI future. Applications are open from June 1st to September 31st, 2025, with winners to be revealed at the 12th EAIF Conference in December. If your work is transforming the AI landscape across business, policy, investment, or research, now is the time to apply and be recognised!
Updates from EAIF member countries
🇦🇱Albania:
AI minister proposal. Prime Minister Edi Rama announced plans to integrate AI into government and even appoint an AI‑run ministry to fight corruption and improve transparency; AI is already used to monitor public procurement, tax and customs, and to detect illegal cannabis plantations mezha.net.
Concerns about bias and fairness. Commentators praised Albania’s AI ambitions but warned about algorithmic bias and urged accountability; the government is collaborating with OpenAI’s Mira Murati to translate EU legislation automatically to accelerate accession talks winsomemarketing.comwinsomemarketing.com.
🇦🇹 Austria:
Microsoft launches Austrian cloud region. Microsoft announced that a new cloud region with three data centres around Vienna will open in August 2025. The project aims to enhance data sovereignty and AI adoption; Microsoft also pledged to train 300 000 Austrians in digital skills by year‑end news.microsoft.com.
DaphOS - An Austrian AI‑enabled healthcare platform DaphOS raised €5 million vestbee.com
🇧🇬 Bulgaria:
WiseBee – a U.S.–Bulgarian AI‑driven cybersecurity firm with its R&D centre in Sofia – raised $2.5 million in pre‑seed funding on 8 Aug 2025. The round was led by Frontline Ventures and BrightCap Ventures. WiseBee’s platform provides autonomous AI‑based security monitoring and risk detection en.ain.ua.
Bulgaria to host EU AI factory. An in‑depth profile of Bulgaria’s AI scene highlighted the planned BRAIN++ AI factory at Sofia Tech Park, which will house a supercomputer and innovation hub and is expected to position Bulgaria as a regional AI leader h512.com.
Sirma launches Enterprise AI Core. The firm announced a platform combining large‑language‑model technology with retrieval and agentic modules to automate functions such as HR, legal and finance. The platform aims to turn Sirma into a hybrid human‑AI organisation within three years sirma.com.
INSAIT spin‑out successes. Bulgaria’s AI research institute INSAIT was profiled for producing innovations like BgGPT and the startup LogicStarAI (an AI agent for bug‑fixing); the article noted that INSAIT draws funding and support from ETH Zurich and EPFL h512.com.
Growing AI startup ecosystem. The same feature listed Bulgarian AI companies such as Transmetrics (logistics optimisation), Imagga (image‑recognition API), Shemha Health (health‑tech AI) and Uvionix (warehouse robotics) h512.com.
🇨🇿 Czech Republic:
Czechia prepares AI gigafactory bid. A government meeting in mid‑August launched planning for a European AI Gigafactory. The facility would use more than 100 000 AI chips and could cost €3–5 billion, with 65 % funded by private investors. Plans include expanding Prague’s Gateway Data Centre and submitting a proposal to the European Commission.
Over one‑third of Czech firms now use AI. Radio Prague reported that more than a third of businesses—especially in manufacturing, banking, marketing and healthcare—have adopted AI; experts said the country’s infrastructure and startups could make it a regional leader english.radio.cz.
Buylo – a Brno‑based startup using AI and RFID to automate retail operations – raised €640 000 from Purple Ventures and other investors to expand sales and develop its product thesaasnews.comthesaasnews.com.
Kontext – founded by Czechs but based in the U.S. – secured over €8 million in seed funding. The company inserts contextual advertising into AI‑driven chatbots; investors included M13, Torch Capital, Credo Ventures and Parable VC therecursive.com
🇭🇷 Croatia:
Justice ministry embraces AI. At a summer school on “AI and Cybersecurity in Justice,” Minister Damir Habijan said Croatia is preparing a National AI Development Plan and a mandatory AI curriculum for justice professionals. He emphasised that AI deployment must be ethical and trustworthy and said Croatia aims to be among the first EU states with an AI literacy programme mpudt.gov.hr.
🇫🇷 France:
Quantum computing momentum. A report on Europe’s “quantum decade” noted that French firm SEALSQ completed its takeover of IC’ALPS on 4 Aug 2025 and that start‑ups Alice & Bob and Inria unveiled efficient magic‑state preparation techniques. French researchers also achieved record coherence times in carbon‑nanotube qubits; the article urged Europe to invest more in quantum‑software ecosystems thequantuminsider.com.
🇩🇪 Germany:
TikTok replaces moderation team with AI. The Guardian reported that TikTok planned to lay off around 150 Berlin trust‑and‑safety workers and replace them with AI systems and outsourced labour; the workers went on strike, demanding severance and better notice periods theguardian.com.
AI maps urban heat stress. German researchers developed an AI‑powered model that combines geodata and weather forecasts to predict heat development at a square‑metre level, helping city planners identify urban “hot spots” and plan adaptation measures cleanenergywire.org.
Oracle invests £1.4 bn in Frankfurt data centre. A legal roundup noted that Oracle announced a £1.4 billion investment to expand AI and cloud infrastructure in Frankfurt. This move aims to increase compute capacity and cement Germany’s position as an AI‑hub fladgate.com.
Genow – a Munich‑based startup building an AI “wingman” that consolidates company knowledge across disparate data sources – raised €1.65 million seed funding from High‑Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and BMH to accelerate product development and market expansion htgf.de.
Plancraft – a Hamburg software firm providing AI‑first tools for tradespeople – closed a €38 million Series B round led by Headline with participation from Creandum and HTGF. The funding will help automate more construction‑sector workflows and expand the team across Europe htgf.de
🇬🇪 Georgia:
Tbilisi AI startups gain attention. A directory of Georgian AI startups listed companies such as STORI AI (brand‑automation), Optio.AI (data‑driven marketing), ConsalAi (workflow automation), Helio AI (recruiting) and Virtual Story Studio (gamified edtech), illustrating a growing AI ecosystem in Tbilisi f6s.com.
🇱🇹 Lithuania:
AI association meetup. The AI Association of Lithuania held an AI Meetup on 18 Aug 2025 in Klaipėda featuring talks by Linas Petkevičius, Paulius Pakutinskas, Evaldas Leliūga and Julius Venskus. With new season AI Association expands it’s activities to regional cities.
🇳🇱 Netherlands:
AI matches radiologists in breast‑cancer screening. A study by Radboud University Medical Centre found that AI is as effective as radiologists at detecting breast cancer and can spot tumours up to four years earlier; replacing one of two human readers with AI improved accuracy and could reduce costs, though nationwide adoption will take several years dutchnews.nl.
Collective licensing for AI training. A Dutch coalition of news publishers created a shared database to license content for AI training, as reported by a legal newsletter; this aims to protect copyright and ensure fair compensation for data used to train models fladgate.com.
Vox AI – an Amsterdam‑based voice‑AI company providing drive‑through ordering systems – raised $8.7 million seed funding. The round was led by Headline with participation from True, Simon Capital and Souschef Ventures thesaasnews.com.
Aizy – a Breda‑based firm whose AI‑driven marketing platform automates campaigns for SMEs – announced €1.5 million growth funding. Investors included Michiel Mol, Gijs Nagel, Joost van der Klooster and Niels Buijs thesaasnews.com
🇵🇱Poland:
Municipal AI use expands. The city of Czestochowa became the first in Poland to pilot the Polish Large Language Model (PLLuM) in administration; it uses AI to automate correspondence and document summarisation, and the government allocated 19 million złoty (4.4 mln. Eur) for implementation notesfrompoland.com.
🇷🇸Serbia:
AI concierge programme for tourism. Serbia’s chamber of commerce launched a subsidised MAIIA Concierge scheme on 20 Aug 2025 to help 50 hotels, restaurants and spas adopt AI, offering a 50 % discount on setup and subscriptions and consultancy support. Officials see this third phase as a turning point to make Serbia’s tourism more competitive connectingregion.com.
Prepia – a Serbian ed‑tech startup providing a mobile‑oriented AI platform for professional exam preparation – closed a €1.5 million seed round. The funding, from investors including Inovo and Silicon Gardens, will help expand the platform beyond its 100 000 users balkanengineer.com
🇸🇪 Sweden:
Wallenberg consortium launches Sferical AI. AstraZeneca, Ericsson, Saab, SEB and the Wallenberg Investment Group formed Sferical AI, a company providing AI infrastructure using Nvidia’s data‑centre platform to help Swedish firms deploy large models reuters.com.
PM criticised for using ChatGPT. Sweden’s prime minister admitted taking advice from ChatGPT and LeChat; critics argued that AI cannot provide meaningful political guidance and warned of security risks theguardian.com.
ESA Phi‑Lab Sweden launched. RISE, ESA, Vinnova and KTH established a Phi‑Lab Sweden to develop edge‑learning and AI for space applications. The lab offers a test environment for companies and researchers and aims for long‑term space‑robotics initiatives ri.seri.se.
Farang – a Swedish startup developing a new AI architecture that mimics human cognition to deliver domain‑specific assistants – raised €1.5 million seed funding on 27 Aug 2025. The round was led by Voima Ventures and the Amadeus APEX Technology Fund startup-weekly.com
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Editor: Linas Petkevičius, PhD
Contact: info@eaiforum.org
Website: eaiforum.org
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