Summary As proposed in the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), Experience and Acceleration Centres for AI ("Centres for AI") are the primary mechanism for transferring AI expertise across the European Union. Article 5(3)(c) explicitly tasks these centres with "facilitating the transfer of expertise across regions," addressing the uneven distribution of AI talent and infrastructure. To operationalise this, Article 5(6) establishes a dedicated network designed to "support collaboration and the exchange of best practices among Centres for AI" and, crucially, to "provide specialised services across regions where the required skills or compute capacity are not available locally." This framework ensures that geographical location does not hinder AI adoption, allowing regions with deficits to leverage the capabilities of advanced hubs for a balanced, Union-wide ecosystem.

Detail

The proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), COM(2026) 502 final, identifies the fragmentation of AI capabilities across Member States as a critical barrier to the Union's strategic autonomy. To counter this, the Act establishes a coordinated network of Experience and Acceleration Centres for AI (hereinafter "Centres for AI"). These entities are not merely national bodies but are designed as an interconnected system to bridge geographical and technological divides.

The Mandate for Cross-Regional Expertise Transfer

The core function of transferring knowledge is codified in Article 5(3)(c). This provision mandates that Centres for AI shall be tasked with "facilitating the transfer of expertise across regions." This is a deliberate policy intervention to prevent the concentration of AI capabilities in a few major hubs. By legally requiring the transfer of expertise, the proposal aims to ensure that regions with emerging digital ecosystems can access the knowledge, methodologies, and operational know-how developed in more advanced areas.

This transfer is not abstract; it is intended to support the practical digital transformation of businesses and public sector bodies. The Act recognises that AI adoption requires specific skills that may be scarce in certain Member States or regions. The mandate ensures that Centres act as conduits, moving technical knowledge from where it is abundant to where it is needed.

The Network Mechanism: Collaboration and Specialised Services

To make the transfer of expertise effective, Article 5(6) establishes a formal network structure. It states that "A network of Centres for AI shall be established to support collaboration and the exchange of best practices among Centres for AI." This network serves as the structural backbone for cross-border cooperation, enabling Centres in different Member States to share successful models, technical solutions, and governance frameworks.

The network's most significant operational feature is its ability to address local resource deficits directly. Article 5(6) further specifies that the network shall "provide specialised services across regions where the required skills or compute capacity are not available locally." This clause is pivotal for balanced regional adoption. It means that if a specific region lacks the necessary computational infrastructure (such as high-performance computing clusters) or the specific human capital to train and deploy complex AI models, it can access these resources through the network. A Centre in a region with advanced capabilities can provide remote support, shared compute time, or expert consultation to a Centre in a region facing a skills shortage.

This mechanism ensures that the "AI first" principle, referenced in Article 7(2)(a) regarding national strategies, can be applied uniformly across the Union, regardless of local starting conditions.

Building on Existing Infrastructure

The proposal does not seek to duplicate existing efforts but to enhance them. Article 5(1) mandates that each Member State establish Centres for AI that "shall build on the European digital innovation hubs established under Article 16 of Regulation (EU) 2021/694" (the Digital Europe Programme). By leveraging these pre-existing hubs, the CADA framework accelerates the deployment of the expertise transfer network. These hubs already possess the local relationships and operational experience necessary to identify regional needs, allowing the new cross-regional mandates to be implemented more rapidly and effectively.

Supporting Balanced Regional Adoption

The transfer of expertise is intrinsically linked to the broader objective of balanced AI uptake. Article 4(8)(a) lists as an operational objective the promotion of "the broad adoption of AI by private and public sector organisations, including SMEs and small mid-caps, through the network of Centres for AI." By facilitating the flow of expertise and providing access to missing compute capacity, the network directly supports this objective.

Furthermore, Article 5(3)(a) tasks the Centres with helping organisations accelerate their digital transformation by connecting them with European providers of cloud and AI technologies. This connects the expertise transfer to the supply chain, ensuring that regions can access not just knowledge, but also the sovereign cloud and AI solutions required to implement it.

What this means for you

For public authorities, SMEs, and regional development agencies, the CADA framework transforms the Centres for AI from local support points into a Union-wide resource pool.

  1. Access to Missing Capabilities: If your region lacks specific AI expertise or high-performance computing resources, you are not limited to local constraints. Under Article 5(6), your local Centre can access specialised services from other regions via the network. This could mean remote access to compute clusters or expert consultation on complex AI deployment strategies.
  2. Accelerated Digital Transformation: For SMEs and start-ups, the Centres provide a direct route to upskilling. Article 5(3)(b) ensures access to relevant upskilling and reskilling schemes in collaboration with the AI Skills Academy. Through the network, these schemes can be standardised and shared, ensuring high-quality training is available even in less developed regions.
  3. Strategic Procurement Support: As CADA introduces the Union cloud computing sovereignty framework (Article 16), public buyers will face new compliance requirements. The Centres, through their networked expertise, can guide contracting authorities on how to procure sovereign cloud services that meet Union assurance levels, preventing vendor lock-in and ensuring strategic autonomy.
  4. Scaling Innovation: For innovators, Article 5(3)(d) highlights the role of Centres in supporting the scaling-up of spin-offs and start-ups by facilitating access to clients and organisations seeking specialised AI services. The network expands the potential client base beyond the local region, connecting innovators with demand across the Union.

Common misconceptions

"Centres for AI only serve their own local region." Reality: While Centres are established nationally, Article 5(6) explicitly creates a network to "provide specialised services across regions where the required skills or compute capacity are not available locally." Their mandate is inherently cross-regional, designed to solve local deficits through Union-wide collaboration.

"Expertise transfer is limited to theoretical training." Reality: The transfer includes practical, operational support. Article 5(3)(d) tasks Centres with facilitating access to clients and organisations, while Article 5(3)(a) focuses on accelerating digital transformation. This involves tangible business development, technical integration, and access to infrastructure, not just classroom training.

"The network replaces national AI strategies." Reality: The network complements national efforts. Article 7 requires Member States to adopt national cloud and AI strategies. The network of Centres for AI provides the operational mechanism to implement these strategies across borders, ensuring that national objectives align with Union-wide goals for balanced adoption.

Related

This is general information about a draft EU regulation, not legal advice.