Frontier AIs: towards European digital competitiveness and security

Views: 24

The AI Office has published this July a report that summarises findings from over 100 experts on how the European Union can enhance its competitiveness, sovereignty and security in frontier AI. In the report, the AI Office highlights key insights from the AI Forum and related expert statements as the EU continues its drive to become the so-called AI continent. Given the rapid advances in AI capability and market trends, experts indicate that frontier AIs are poised to drive one of the most consequential technology shifts in recent history. 

Background
The Commission enables AI research through different strategies. The 2020 White Paper on AI, the coordinated plans on AI, the AI Innovation Package and the AI Continent action plan, the AI in Science strategy and the Apply AI strategy emphasise the importance of developing and deploying AI that is trustworthy and aligned with European values.
More in: https://www.integrin.dk/2026/06/05/european-union-announces-plans-for-the-digital-sovereignty/

The AI Office is actively driving the implementation of these strategies, alongside its key role in enforcing the AI Act. It also monitors emerging trends and stimulates the adoption of AI, in cooperation with the European Digital Innovation Hubs. Besides, the AI Office’s Lead Scientific Adviser upholds the standard of scientific excellence in the evaluation of AI models and the exploration of innovative methodologies.

On EU digital sovereignty
The European Summit on Digital Sovereignty took place on November 18, 2025 in Germany. Its main idea was to make a “a starting signal to pool Europe’s forces and jointly advance concrete steps to reduce dependencies, increase resilience and promote innovation”. For business representatives, the summit offered a forum to exchange views on current and planned investments in Europe’s digital sovereignty.
Some guests’ comments are worth mentioning:
= German Federal Digital Minister, Karsten Wildberger notes that the summit is sending a clear signal that “Europeans can and want to be among the leaders in key technologies”. In this attempts the EU has “strong companies, the skills, the expertise and the creative minds”; hence, Germany and France “want to be the driving force behind greater European digital sovereignty”. However, to achieve this, he notes “we need bold decisions at the EU level: ambitious reforms to the digitalization and artificial intelligence laws, a determined reduction of bureaucracy and much more room for innovation.”
= France’s AI and Digital Minister of State, Anne Le Hénanff followed with a remark that “the digital sovereignty is not a choice, it is a responsibility! France and Germany are driven by the ambition to make companies more competitive and to better protect citizens, through shared and demanding positions on data protection, targeted simplification of digital regulation and support for a strong European digital system”. She added that “together, we are creating the conditions for a safe and ambitious digital future for Europe.”
= France’s Civil Service and State Reform Minister, David Amiel: “Once again France and Germany are driving progress. This summit marks a milestone in our joint efforts to strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty and to promote a European preference in procurement for high-performing public services. Our continent is rich in talent and expertise: today we are laying the foundations for the emergence of European digital champions capable of serving our citizens and competing on the international stage”.
Source, citations and more on European digital sovereignty (as of November 2025, Germany) in: https://bmds.bund.de/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/detail/summit-for-more-digital-sovereignty-starts-in-berlin

EU Experts’ AI Forum
In April 2026, the AI Office held the first meeting of the Expert Forum on Frontier AI to discuss the opportunities that frontier AI can bring the EU member states, assessing underlying AI trajectories and the EU’s strategic position.
The meeting allowed experts to outline recommendations for strategic actions on how to build European frontier AI capabilities and how to strengthen Europe’s ability to access, choose, control and benefit from any frontier AI model. Experts also provided guidance on how actions by the European Commission or Member States can match the speed and scale of this technology.
The AI Office will group the recommendations for strategic actions by priority and work with others to implement them, facilitating further expert exchanges in the Expert Forum, including through written input and targeted workshops.
Source: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/ai-office-publishes-frontier-ai-expert-findings-eu-competitiveness-sovereignty-and-security
More on Forum in: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-seeks-experts-forum-frontier-ai

Report’s outcomes
According to the report, frontier AI has evolved strongly over the past few years, with systems progressing from handling relatively simple tasks to demonstrating capabilities that increasingly challenge existing evaluation methods.
While Europe continues to produce world-class AI research and educate a significant share of the world’s AI talent, the report notes that much of the development of frontier AI models is taking place outside the EU. The region also faces challenges in scaling computing infrastructure and attracting the level of investment needed to compete with global leaders.
Source and citation from: https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/eu-ai-office-provides-roadmap-to-strengthen-europes-position-in-frontier-ai/212050/

The findings suggest that the next one to two years could be particularly important, with decisions made during this period likely to shape Europe’s long-term position in the AI landscape.
= Removing barriers to growth. An important message from the report it that Europe must create more attractive conditions for AI innovation and investment. Experts identified access to advanced computing infrastructure and the energy needed to power it as immediate priorities. They also highlighted the importance of improving access to growth-stage funding, providing greater legal clarity around copyright and data protection for AI training, and strengthening efforts to attract and retain highly skilled talent.
Alongside these structural improvements, the report suggests supporting carefully selected high-risk, high-reward AI projects that could help Europe develop leadership across the AI ecosystem, including emerging technologies and alternative approaches to AI development.

= Building independence. Recognising that many of the world’s most advanced AI models are currently developed outside Europe, the report argues that the EU should strengthen its ability to access, evaluate and benefit from frontier AI while maintaining greater strategic control.
Rather than relying just on domestic development, the report highlights the importance of understanding Europe’s strengths across the AI value chain. These include the size of the European market, its industrial capabilities, regulatory influence and expertise in several areas of AI technology.
The report also identifies collaboration with trusted international partners as an important way to strengthen Europe’s capabilities and increase its influence in the global AI landscape.
Special attention is to funding and scaling AI innovation. Through the Horizon Europe and Digital Europe programs, the Commission invests more than €1 billion per year in AI, with measures to fund and scale innovative ideas and solutions. The aim is to mobilise additional investments from the private sector and the Member States to reach an annual investment volume of € 20 billion over the course of this decade.
Source: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/european-ai-research

= Turning strategy into action. The report emphasises that technological progress in AI is moving quickly and that public policy must keep pace. It recommends setting ambitious objectives for 2030 while ensuring that frontier AI remains a political priority across European institutions. To support this effort, the AI Office plans to organise the recommendations by priority and work with EU institutions and member states to put them into practice. Further engagement with the Expert Forum will continue through workshops and written contributions, with future updates expected on both the implementation of strategic actions and the development of the EU’s Frontier AI Initiative.
More on European research development and deployment of AI in: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/european-ai-research
On European digital competitiveness in: https://www.integrin.dk/2025/10/08/two-additional-ai-strategies-driving-european-digital-competitiveness/