Buy European: EU Commissions New Apply AI Strategy Launched (www.euractiv.com)

The European Commission unveiled its Apply AI strategy to accelerate industrial adoption of AI across Europe, led by a "Frontier AI Initiative" that will convene companies and researchers to develop advanced capabilities. Key measures include competitions to create new open AI models with free access to EU-run supercomputers, opening European compute for defence-related model training, funding "AI for Business" master’s programmes, and building AI Gigafactories (large model training hubs). Sectoral commitments target manufacturing-specific models and "acceleration pipelines" to move research into factories, AI-powered health screening centres, an open-source model for improved weather forecasts, and city testbeds for autonomous mobility. The plan also promotes a "Buy European AI" approach for public procurement and sets up an "AI Observatory" and a refashioned Apply AI Alliance to monitor progress. Significance for the AI/ML community lies in promised compute access, open-model incentives, and explicit funding—€1 billion from Commission programmes—which could lower barriers for European researchers and companies. But critics warn the strategy is high on ambition and light on implementation: details on procurement measures, observatory structure, and how the Commission will mobilise the larger €200 billion pledge remain unclear. The community will be watching for concrete metrics (e.g., available compute capacity, hub rollouts, and measurable investment flows) to judge whether these plans translate into real sovereignty and competitiveness against U.S. and Chinese ecosystems.