In a significant move to encourage Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation within the European Union, the EUSAiR project launched with its kick-off meeting in Bologna on January 23-24, 2025. Funded by the European Commission, this two-year initiative aims to establish regulatory sandboxes across EU member states, providing controlled environments for testing and validating AI systems before their market introduction.
Coordinated by the Italian Research Center on High Performance Computing, Big Data, and Quantum Computing (ICSC), the EUSAiR project brings together a diverse consortium of 13 partners and affiliated entities, each playing a crucial role in the project’s success.
EUSAiR’s primary objective is to develop standardised regulatory frameworks, enhance technical and legal expertise, and promote collaboration among EU member states. By implementing these regulatory sandboxes, the project seeks to provide AI innovators—particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups—with the necessary tools to navigate new regulations efficiently, thereby reducing compliance costs and facilitating smoother market entry.
During the kick-off meeting, discussions centred on strategies to advance AI innovation and competitiveness, with an emphasis on improving legal clarity for developers and ensuring regulatory adherence. Project coordinator Antonino Rotolo (affiliated with the University of Bologna and ICSC) highlighted the importance of these efforts, stating:
Regulatory sandboxes represent a crucial step in harmonising 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.
EUSAiR plans to collaborate closely with the European Commission’s AI Office, all 27 EU member states, and organisations such as Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs) and European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs). This collaborative approach aims to ensure widespread access to the sandboxes, minimise compliance expenses, and lower barriers to market entry for AI innovations.
EUSAiR aspires to enhance regulatory oversight, promote evidence-based learning, disseminate best practices, and facilitate the integration of AI systems into the EU market by fostering a multidisciplinary commitment to joint initiatives and the ethical use of AI.
