Nicosia: The European Commission has endorsed the initiative of 19 Member States to create and pre-notify the first Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). This project aims to develop a range of decentralized and commonly accessible AI services.

According to Cyprus News Agency, IPCEI AI covers the entire AI stack and aims to advance and innovate AI and compute management technologies and applications. The project focuses on developing industrial products and services that exceed the current state of the art in the sector. It also seeks to drive technological progress while contributing to European digital sovereignty, positioning Europe as a leader in AI innovation, and strengthening Europe's AI value chain from technological development to adoption.

This ambitious initiative has been jointly designed by 19 Member States, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, and others, with Germany coordinating the effort. The European Commission has played a pivotal role in facilitating this project through the IPCEI Design Support Hub, established in April 2025. This support hub assists Member States in preparing State aid notifications for the projects to ensure compliance with EU rules from the outset, allowing for quicker processing of the State aid notification.

As part of IPCEI AI, 11 of the involved Member States that will provide State aid to direct participants have announced plans to start pre-notifying their projects to the Commission in September 2026. The Commission will assess the projects' compliance with the eligibility and compatibility criteria of the IPCEI Communication, marking a significant step towards achieving the EU's goal of becoming a global leader in AI as outlined in the Commission's AI Continent Action Plan and related strategies.