RAISE at AIS26

SCIANCE contributed a programme of RAISE activities showcasing progress from the pilot phase and inviting the community to help shape priorities for AI-enabled research in Europe. These included the SCIANCE-curated session Accelerating discovery with RAISE, the RAISE Community Challenge Lab, two expert workshops supporting development of the RAISE Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, and a dedicated RAISE Info Desk offering information, demonstrations and opportunities to connect.

During the SCIANCE curated session ‘Accelerating discovery with RAISE’ , Martin Špolc, Director for Prosperity at the European Commission, stressed the need to accelerate adoption for AI in science across Europe and the operationalisation of RAISE as the flagship initiative of Europe’s AI in science strategy.
Jonas L’Haridon (European Science Foundation), the SCIANCE project coordinator, and Dorothea Dörr (Euro-BioImaging ERIC), scientific coordinator for life sciences, provided a progress update from the RAISE pilot. They highlighted initial findings from the European AI-in-science landscape analysis and introduced the RAISE Hub and RAISE Forum as its information portal and community engagement platform. The foundations are in place, the research community now need to seize this to shape priorities for AI in science in Europe.
The session concluded with a panel discussion featuring Noel O’Connor (Rinn AI), Andrea Renda (CEPS), Stéphane Canu (INSA), Plamena Markova (EMBL) and Peter Olwell (DCU Innovate). Panellists called for a clear and ambitious European vision for AI in science—one that offers a ‘third path” to global competitiveness on AI in science, together with like-minded international partners, and builds on Europe’s scientific excellence, high-quality data, advanced AI and research infrastructures, and steadfast commitments to trustworthiness and reproducibility.

The RAISE Community Challenge Lab brought together researchers and other stakeholders in a hands-on co-creation session to capture the pulse of Europe’s AI-in-science community. Participants identified 38 challenges, highlighting concerns around trustworthy and reproducible AI, dependence on proprietary and non-European infrastructure, protection of data and intellectual property, unequal access to computing resources, and the need for stronger skills and sustainable funding.

Participants also called for a clear European vision for AI in science, supported by open standards and infrastructure, proportionate governance, interdisciplinary cooperation and practical institutional support for researchers. These exploratory insights will inform SCIANCE’s development of the RAISE Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), with follow-up community feedback through the RAISE Forum.

On the second day of the Summit, SCIANCE organised two parallel workshops bringing together researchers from different disciplines and career stages, AI and data specialists, research software engineers, and representatives of research infrastructures. Working in small groups with support from facilitators, participants examined barriers to interdisciplinary cooperation and to open, trustworthy AI for scientific research. Their contributions will inform the development of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) for RAISE.

The workshop on Interdisciplinary Cooperation Priorities for AI-Enabled Science, organised by Mariia Snigireva and Mariana Macedo from Constructor University Bremen, highlighted the need for AI training for researchers as the main priority. European systems for research funding, career development, research assessment, infrastructure and regulation remain largely organised around individual disciplines. This training would help researchers identify appropriate uses of AI, apply relevant methods, and critically assess the results.

The workshop on Open Science and Trustworthy AI for European Research, highlighted the need for better documentation and traceability of AI-supported research, clearer accountability and meaningful human oversight, stronger protection of confidential data and intellectual property, practical legal guidance, trusted institutional AI environments, and stronger European coordination around infrastructure, procurement and skills. These community-generated insights are now being consolidated into potential action lines for the RAISE Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, with further validation and discussion planned through the wider RAISE community. Key messages centred on the need for transparent and traceable AI-supported research, clearer accountability across researchers, institutions and providers, meaningful human oversight, protection of confidential data and intellectual property, practical guidance for applying existing legal frameworks, common documentation and disclosure standards, and stronger European capacity and control over AI infrastructure, models and research data. Participants also highlighted the importance of institutional support, training and trusted tools that make responsible AI use practical for researchers.

This community-led efforts continue on 12 November at 15:30 CET with SCIANCE’s first webinar, “Shaping AI in Science in Europe, by scientists and for scientists”, held as part of AI Innovation Month. The programme will feature developments in AI in science, emerging innovations and good practices for AI-enabled research.

On the agenda (speakers will be announced shortly)

• SCIANCE project update
• AI in science topics
• Good practices on AI in science
• RAISE update from DG RTD / AI in science unit
• Q&A
• Wrap-up and call for community engagement

RAISE will succeed only through active involvement from Europe’s research community. Researchers across all disciplines, together with infrastructures, funders, policymakers and innovators, are invited to join the community, share knowledge and good practices, contribute expertise and help identify shared priorities. This collective effort will build the critical mass and momentum needed for competitive, trustworthy and sustainable AI-enabled science in Europe.
Follow developments on the RAISE Hub and join the RAISE Forum to contribute.