60+ European Companies Launch ‘EU AI Champions Initiative’ to Strengthen Europe’s Leadership in Artificial Intelligence

Over 60 European companies launch the EU AI Champions Initiative to boost AI adoption, coordinate industry and policy efforts, and attract €150 billion in investment. Unveiled at the AI Action Summit in Paris, the initiative aims to position Europe as a global AI leader through collaboration, regulation reform, and innovation.

More than 60 prominent European companies, spanning startups, major technology providers, and established industrial firms, have jointly launched the EU AI Champions Initiative. The programme aims to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) adoption across Europe and build a robust framework to position the continent as a global leader in the AI landscape.

The initiative is officially unveiled at the AI Action Summit in Paris, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. Following its launch, the participating companies will engage in direct dialogue with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, alongside the Heads of State and Government from 17 EU countries including Germany, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, and others. The discussions aim to identify key policy actions required to support the strategic goals of the initiative.

A strategic vision for European AI Leadership

The EU AI Champions Initiative sets out to coordinate efforts between industry, capital, technology, and policy to drive large-scale AI transformation. It mobilises European talent and investment to accelerate the adoption of AI across sectors such as energy, defence, manufacturing, healthcare, and finance. It also focuses on developing competitive European technology firms that can thrive in the global AI ecosystem.

The companies involved share a collective vision of Europe playing a leading role in AI innovation and application. By presenting a cohesive market opportunity, they aim to stimulate entrepreneurship, enhance industrial competitiveness, and drive economic growth.

Participants in the initiative include a wide range of companies such as Airbus, ASML, Axa, BNP Paribas, CMA CGM, Dassault Systèmes, Deutsche Bank, EDF, E.ON, Exor, Infineon, L’Oréal Groupe, Lufthansa, Mistral AI, Orange Group, Porsche, Publicis, SAP, Siemens, Spotify, TotalEnergies, Volkswagen Group, and ZF, among others.

High-level political and financial support

The initiative gains significant political support at the summit, with participation from heads of state and senior officials from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden.

Financial backing is also strong. More than 20 global investors—including Blackstone, Balderton, DST Global, KKR, EQT, Warburg Pincus, and General Catalyst—have earmarked €150 billion for AI-related investment across Europe over the next five years. These funds are allocated to support companies building AI technology, industries using AI to enhance operations, and infrastructure necessary for AI development such as energy and data centres.

Blueprint for action and strategic alignment

General Catalyst publishes a comprehensive report titled “An Ambitious Agenda for European AI” alongside the initiative. It outlines Europe’s current AI capabilities and lays down a strategic framework to fast-track adoption. The report states that generative AI has the potential to increase Europe’s annual productivity by up to 3% by 2030.

It presents key case studies showing AI’s impact:

• Cradle and Novo Nordisk: Cradle’s AI platform helps scientists at Novo Nordisk accelerate drug discovery and development by reducing experimental cycles.
• Helsing and Loft Orbital: These companies collaborate to create an AI-powered ISR satellite constellation, which aims to improve real-time defence capabilities and operational speed by 2026.
• SAP and Mistral AI: Together, they integrate frontier models into SAP’s enterprise software, enabling businesses to use proprietary data in AI environments securely and efficiently.

Policy recommendations and regulatory reform

The initiative emphasises the need for a simplified, harmonised, and innovation-friendly AI regulatory framework in Europe. Findings from more than 60 private sector interviews show a clear demand for regulatory clarity and reduced bureaucracy.

The report recommends six priority areas for European policymakers:

• Unified regulatory framework – Streamline over 100 existing EU tech-related laws.
• Data harmonisation – Create secure and consistent rules for data governance and sharing.
• Investment support measures – Reduce risk for AI investment and link incentives to broader financial reforms.
• Infrastructure development – Promote collaborative development of AI-supporting infrastructure such as data centres and energy management systems.
• Skills and public awareness campaigns – Launch educational campaigns to build AI literacy and public trust.
• Industry collaboration – Encourage joint innovation frameworks and resource sharing within and between industries.

Industry leaders’ perspectives

Jeannette zu Fürstenberg, Managing Director and Head of Europe at General Catalyst, who is overseeing the initiative, states: “Europe has all the essentials for a resilient and competitive AI infrastructure: talent, capital, and a strong industrial backbone with proprietary distribution and data. With the commitment of over 60 leading European companies, we must harness these resources to unlock a functional flywheel between technology, capital, and policy.”

Christophe Fouquet, President and CEO of ASML, says: “At ASML, we believe that cutting-edge AI, combined with Europe’s world-class innovation ecosystem, will drive the next era of technological progress. The EU AI Champions Initiative represents an important step in uniting industry leaders to ensure Europe remains at the forefront of AI-driven advancements.”

Robin Rombach, Co-Founder of Black Forest Labs, comments: “As a German-headquartered startup creating frontier AI foundation models, Black Forest Labs has demonstrated that Europe is a global leader in the development of frontier AI technology. We support initiatives that accelerate European efforts in open innovation and cutting-edge technology.”

Stef van Grieken, Co-founder and CEO of Cradle, highlights the importance of industrial transformation: “The EU AI Champions Initiative comes at a crucial moment – if we don't act decisively now, we risk losing our competitive edge in these vital sectors that impact both human and planetary health.”

Pascal Daloz, CEO of Dassault Systèmes, states: “We are proud to participate in the EU AI Champions Initiative, as we firmly believe that artificial intelligence represents a strategic lever to shape the future of industry and society.”

Christian Sewing, CEO of Deutsche Bank, says: “A fundamental and bold shift must occur now in how we collaborate and create a shared vision for what we want Europe to become – including setting the right investment environment by promoting the Savings and Investment Union.”

Gundbert Scherf, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Helsing, remarks: “The AI race is far from being over, it has only just begun. We believe AI leadership is core to sovereignty and a strong Europe.”

Arthur Mensch, Co-Founder and CEO of Mistral AI, adds: “The time for debate and small-scale pilots is over. It is now crucial for European policymakers, industry leaders, and startups to fully harness AI's potential.”

Christel Heydemann, CEO of Orange Group, says: “The EU AI Champion Initiative seeks to engage in constructive dialogue with the European Commission and other policymakers to create a clearer, more supportive AI framework that enables effective innovation.”

About the EU AI Champions Initiative

The EU AI Champions Initiative includes participants from companies such as Adyen, Airbus Defence & Space, Alan, Artemis Holding, Autone, Black Forest Labs, Bonnier Group, Celonis, CMA CGM, Dataiku, Deel, Deutsche Telekom, ElevenLabs, Ethon AI, Flix, Franke Group, GetYourGuide, Giesecke & Devrient, Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, Kering, Langdock, Loft Orbital, Loh Gruppe, N26, Novo Nordisk, Owkin, Parloa, Pelico, Personio, Philips, Photoroom, Pigment, Publicis, Ravensburger, Robco, SAAB AB, Schwarz, Shift Technology, Siemens Energy, Supercell, Sword, Tom Tom, TotalEnergies, United Internet, and ZF.

The next phase of the initiative includes continued collaboration with policymakers and dedicated strategic sessions among technology leaders to build the AI infrastructure and regulatory environment needed for sustained European competitiveness in artificial intelligence.