RAISE, Europe's new Resource for AI research
The SCIANCE project has been selected by the European Commission to support the development of the Resource for AI Science in Europe (RAISE), a pioneering initiative designed to strengthen AI-driven scientific research across Europe. Officially announced at the AI in Science Summit in Copenhagen in November 2025, RAISE is a flagship initiative under the European Strategy for AI in Science. It aims at establishing a virtual European research institute that brings together computational power, data, scientific expertise and research funding to accelerate the use of AI across all scientific disciplines.
By merging Europe's leading AI resources and fostering collaboration between researchers, RAISE seeks to enable scientific innovation, as well as reinforcing Europe's position as a global leader in AI-enabled research. The initiative is designed to create stronger ties between disciplines, allowing advances in one field to drive innovation in others.
The concept of RAISE was first presented in the European Strategy for AI in Science, published in October 2025. At its core will be a network of specialised Thematic Networks of Excellence, bringing together leading European research laboratories working both on AI for scientific discovery and on scientific advances that improve AI itself. These networks will be coordinated by a central Secretariat, which will facilitate collaboration, promote knowledge exchange and provide access to shared resources, including high-performance computing, research data, skilled talent and funding opportunities.
In November 2025 European Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva highlighted SCIANCE's strategic role in shaping RAISE through a bottom-up, community-driven approach that brings together Europe's leading research organisations, digital infrastructures and scientific networks.
The SCIANCE project is laying the foundations for RAISE by coordinating AI-enabled scientific research across five pilot domains: fundamental physics and astronomy, materials science, life sciences, Earth sciences, and the social sciences and humanities. Through close collaboration between scientific communities, AI centres of excellence, research infrastructures and policy stakeholders, the project accelerates the adoption of trustworthy and sustainable AI throughout the European research landscape.
One of SCIANCE's key deliverables is the RAISE Secretariat, meant to support long-term collaboration, capacity building and knowledge sharing. The project is also conducting a comprehensive assessment of Europe's AI research landscape and leading an inclusive co-creation process to identify the most pressing scientific challenges where AI can have the greatest impact. Alongside accelerating scientific innovation, SCIANCE will improve researchers' access to data, advanced computing resources and cutting-edge research infrastructures, while promoting open, trustworthy and sustainable approaches to AI. By creating an integrated European ecosystem for AI-enabled science, RAISE is expected to become a cornerstone of the EU's ambition to accelerate scientific discovery, strengthen research excellence and enhance Europe's global competitiveness in artificial intelligence.