Summary As proposed, the Experience and Acceleration Centres for AI ("Centres for AI") under the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) would be regional hubs to accelerate adoption of cloud and AI technologies, especially for SMEs, small mid-caps (SMCs), and public sector bodies. Article 5 would require each Member State to establish these Centres, building on the existing European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs). They would act as entry points to the European AI innovation ecosystem - connecting organisations with European providers, providing access to upskilling, and supporting start-ups - rather than supplying cloud or AI services themselves.

Detail

CADA, as proposed, would strengthen the EU's cloud and AI ecosystem with a strong emphasis on demand-side measures and broad adoption. Central to this is the creation of the Experience and Acceleration Centres for AI, governed primarily by Article 5. These would not be entirely new bodies but an evolution of existing structures.

Built on the EDIH network

Article 5(1) would require each Member State to establish Centres for AI, building on the European Digital Innovation Hubs established under Article 16 of Regulation (EU) 2021/694 (the Digital Europe Programme) and, where applicable, any successor entities under Union law. This leverages the EDIHs' existing expertise, infrastructure, and local presence for CADA's goals.

Objectives and tasks

Under Article 5(2), the objectives of the Centres for AI would be to support the integration and scaling-up of AI use cases in strategic industrial and public sectors; accelerate broad adoption of cloud and AI at regional and local levels (notably for SMEs, SMCs, and public sector bodies), in line with the "AI first" principle; and leverage relevant infrastructure to accelerate the development and fine-tuning of AI models and systems.

Article 5(3) would task the Centres in particular with:

  • helping organisations accelerate digital transformation through access to and use of AI technologies, including by connecting them with European providers of cloud and AI technologies;
  • ensuring or providing access to upskilling and reskilling schemes, in close collaboration with the AI Skills Academy;
  • facilitating the transfer of expertise across regions;
  • supporting the scaling-up of spin-offs and start-ups emerging from universities, incubators, and other accelerators by facilitating access to clients and organisations seeking specialised AI services.

Link to the Leadership Initiatives

The Centres would be integral to the Cloud and AI Leadership Initiatives. Article 4(8)(a) lists promoting the broad adoption of AI by private and public sector organisations, including SMEs and SMCs, through the network of Centres for AI, as an operational objective. Article 7(2)(b) would require Member States to include measures in their national cloud and AI strategies to support the Centres for AI as entry points to the European AI innovation ecosystem.

Governance and collaboration

Article 5(4) would empower the Commission to adopt implementing acts detailing the procedure for establishing Centres for AI, including participant-organisation profiles and selection criteria, under the examination procedure (Article 46(2)). Article 5(5) would give the Centres substantial overall autonomy over their organisation, composition, and working methods, consistent with the Regulation's objectives. Article 5(6) would establish a network of Centres for AI to support collaboration and provide specialised services across regions where the required skills or compute capacity are not available locally.

What this means for you

For public-sector procurement officers and digital-transformation leaders, the Centres would be a practical resource for AI adoption.

  • Access to expertise and testing: Rather than building AI capability from scratch, public bodies could use the Centres to access expertise and infrastructure - useful for validating solutions before procurement.
  • SME and start-up engagement: The Centres are tasked with connecting organisations with European providers. For officers weighing Union added value (Article 32) and SME participation (Article 33), the Centres could help surface innovative European solutions.
  • Upskilling and reskilling: As public administrations adopt AI, the Centres would provide access to upskilling schemes in collaboration with the AI Skills Academy.
  • Regional support: If your region lacks AI expertise or compute, the network of Centres is designed to provide cross-regional support.

Common misconceptions

  • Misconception: The Centres are entirely new entities replacing EDIHs.
    • Clarification: As proposed, CADA would build the Centres on the existing EDIH network, retaining and redirecting their infrastructure and expertise toward AI acceleration.
  • Misconception: Only large tech companies can benefit.
    • Clarification: Article 5 explicitly targets SMEs, SMCs, and public sector bodies, including supporting the scaling-up of spin-offs and start-ups.
  • Misconception: The Centres will provide AI services directly to end users.
    • Clarification: They would act as facilitators - helping organisations access technologies, providing testing and expertise, and connecting users with European providers - rather than supplying the cloud or AI services themselves.

Related

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