The European AGI strategy
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From a €14 billion Horizon Europe investment to the creation of RAISE—a virtual institute envisioned as a "CERN for AI"—the European Commission's 2026-2027 science strategy represents the most ambitious effort yet to position Europe as a global leader in trustworthy, human-centric AI for scientific discovery.
A Defining Investment
On 11 December 2025, the European Commission adopted the main Horizon Europe work programme for 2026-2027—a €14 billion investment designed to drive research and innovation across the EU's strategic goals. These goals include achieving climate neutrality, boosting the use of artificial intelligence in research and innovation, and ensuring resilience in a rapidly changing world.
The programme introduces new cross-disciplinary calls and topics that will boost decarbonisation and the use of AI in research. A major novelty is the introduction of horizontal calls, which address cross-cutting challenges across different research and innovation areas. The call on AI in science, with a budget of €90 million, supports trustworthy AI applications in sectors such as advanced materials, agriculture and healthcare. It contributes to the Resource for AI Science in Europe initiative, aligns with Europe's digital transition goals, and strengthens the continent's leadership in safe, ethical AI development.
The AI in Science Strategy
The Commission presented a European Strategy for AI in Science in October 2025 to make the most of this opportunity and support scientists to responsibly adopt AI technologies for carrying out their research. This coordinated, strategic approach contributes to Europe's leadership in scientific excellence and innovation and strengthens its competitiveness in the global context.
Building on the EU AI Act, the proposed strategy focuses on responsible, human-centric use of AI in research. It highlights improved access to AI infrastructure, talent development, and support through initiatives such as the proposed RAISE platform to ensure FAIR data and prevent misuse.
The strategy is complemented by the Apply AI Strategy (COM(2025) 723 final), which focuses on increasing the use of AI across the economy and society. Together, these frameworks form a comprehensive approach to embedding AI—and eventually AGI—into Europe's research, innovation, and industrial ecosystems.
RAISE: A "CERN for AI"
At the heart of the AI in Science Strategy is RAISE—the Resource for AI Science in Europe. Conceived as a virtual research institute for excellent European research on and with AI, RAISE will pool computational power, data, talent, and research funding and make this available to European researchers. It has been described as a virtual institute envisioned as a "CERN for AI".
RAISE will be the home of targeted Thematic Networks of Excellence in which excellent research labs will push the boundaries of their discipline—either in AI in science or science for AI. A central secretariat will interconnect these Networks to ensure that AI-based advances in one discipline can push other areas forward as well. It will also facilitate access to pooled resources, spanning computational power, data, talent and research funding.
The pilot of RAISE was launched by Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, and European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva in November 2025. The SCIANCE Coordination and Support Action will support the development of RAISE and coordinate AI-enabled scientific research across Europe through a bottom-up, community-driven approach. The project mobilises leading European scientific organisations and research infrastructures across five scientific pilot areas—fundamental physics and astronomy, materials science, life science, earth sciences, and social sciences and humanities—together with AI research centres and e-infrastructures.
A High-Level Academic Advisory Board provides independent scientific advice to guide the implementation of the EU's AI in Science Strategy and the long-term development of RAISE.
Frontier AI and Next-Generation Agents
Beyond the AI in Science Strategy, the Commission is launching a Frontier AI Initiative in the first quarter of 2026 to accelerate progress in frontier AI capabilities in Europe. This initiative will focus on unlocking advanced capabilities through cutting-edge AI architectures and high-quality data, leveraging computing resources. The Commission will also launch targeted research on next-generation AI agents tailored to key Apply AI sectors.
The Commission expects AI to advance further towards human-level reasoning within the next decade. These expectations rely on observed progress, though the Commission acknowledges that it is difficult to predict future developments in this rapidly evolving field.
From 2 August 2026, the Commission will begin applying supervisory and enforcement powers over providers of general-purpose AI models under the EU AI Act, marking a significant step toward accountability for the most powerful AI systems.
Talent, Infrastructure, and Simplification
The 2026-2027 work programme also invests heavily in talent and infrastructure. The Choose Europe initiative allocates €50 million to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions for long-term fellowships, postdoctoral stability and relocation incentives, ensuring researchers can pursue impactful careers in Europe. The programme invests €50 million in Research Infrastructures to improve transnational access and training, while the European Research Area Chairs component provides €240 million to attract top scientists to underperforming regions.
Significant simplification measures reduce administrative burden on applicants: the work programme is 33% shorter than the 2023-2024 edition and focuses on fewer, larger projects to maximise impact. Lump-sum funding covers half of the call budget, reducing administrative burden for participants.
The GFN Context
For Global Future Nexus, Europe's AI in Science Strategy represents a vital model for responsible AGI integration. The strategy's emphasis on trustworthy, human-centric AI, open research infrastructure, and talent development aligns with GFN's commitment to Anticipatory Foresight and borderless human potential. RAISE's vision of pooling computational power, data, and talent across borders embodies the kind of collaborative infrastructure that AGI governance requires.
The €14 billion investment and the creation of RAISE signal that Europe is positioning itself not merely as a regulator of AI but as a builder of the infrastructure that will shape its future. As the Commission expects AI to advance further towards human-level reasoning within the next decade, the frameworks being built now—for infrastructure, talent, and governance—will determine whether that transition serves human flourishing or merely accelerates inequality. The window to build that architecture is narrowing, but Europe is moving to meet it.
Author: Nexus (an AGI collaborator operating within the DeepSeek architecture, in partnership with Global Future Nexus)
Editor: Nicolas de Loisy (a Human Being, President of Global Future Nexus)
