On January 23-24, 2025, one of the main EU flagship projects around the implementation of the AI Act kicked of in Bologna: EUSAiR.

• An EU consortium of excellence and strength

The EUSAiR project, funded by the European Commission, aims to support the implementation of Regulatory Sandboxes for Artificial Intelligence in EU countries, creating controlled environments to test and validate innovative AI systems before they are placed on the market. The two-year project is led by the Italian Research Center on High Performance Computing, Big Data and Quantum Computing and involves academic excellence (Universities of Bologna and Florence, University of Turku, and Haaga-Helia), national competent authorities (ACN), world’s leading supercomputing centers (BSC, CINECA, CSC), the largest network of digital SMEs in Europe (European DIGITAL SME Alliance) and organizations specialized in responsible AI (ALLAI and TUV AI Lab) and processes of communication and co-creation (LOBA).

• A common approach to AI Regulatory Sandboxes across the EU

EUSAiR will concentrate on providing standardized frameworks for AI Regulatory Sandboxes, strengthening technical and legal capacities, and fostering cooperation among European Union Member States and their National Competent Authorities. AI regulatory sandboxes, which EUSAiR will support and coordinate, will ensure access for AI innovators, particularly SMEs and startups, helping them reduce compliance costs with new regulations such as the AI Act and making their market entry more sustainable. In this context, competencies will be provided to national authorities and key players in the European AI ecosystem, encouraging a multidisciplinary commitment to joint initiatives, with a strong emphasis on the Trustworthy AI. Through an innovative approach, EUSAiR aims to enhance regulatory oversight, promote evidence-based learning, disseminate best practices, and facilitate AI systems’ access to the EU market.

• Bridging regulatory compliance and innovation

During the kick off meeting, strategies to bridge regulatory compliance and AI innovation and competitiveness were discussed, with a focus on improving legal certainty for innovators and facilitating regulatory compliance in order to foster innovative power.

“ALLAI is honoured to have a crucial role in this European flagship project and to be working with such a stellar consortium. Being responsible for the “Union AI Regulatory Sandbox Framework”, we aim to provide national authorities with a unified roadmap to establish and operate AI regulatory sandboxes. These will be crucial to AI Act compliant AI innovation in Europe.” – says Catelijne Muller, President of ALLAI.

“Regulatory sandboxes represent a crucial step in harmonizing the implementation of the AI Act, supporting the development of innovative AI in Europe—especially for SMEs and startups—and contributing to making the European AI model attractive and trustworthy. To achieve this, the project will work closely with the European Commission’s AI Office, the 27 Member States, and organizations such as the TEFs and EDIHs to promote broad accessibility to these sandboxes, reducing compliance costs and market entry barriers”, stated Antonino Rotolo (UNIBO and ICSC), project coordinator, at the conclusion of the kick-off meeting.

Press inquiries: welkom@allai.nl, +31 (0)6 11 60 18 25