Europe is working to establish its own AI industry. The IPCEI-AI is one of the tools member states are using to tackle this effort collectively. For the Netherlands, participation is strategically important: it involves helping to shape the European AI landscape in the coming years. But this will only succeed if enough Dutch companies and research institutions express their interest to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). AIC4NL is calling on them to register by March 25, 2026.
What is an IPCEI?
IPCEI stands forImportant Projects of Common European Interest. An IPCEI is a coordinated European industrial project focused on technologies that are too large and complex for a single country to tackle alone. Multiple member states, governments, and private entities collaborate toward a common goal. This approach has already been successfully applied to batteries, microchips, and cloud infrastructure.
What is the purpose of the IPCEI-AI?
Since early 2025, a group of European member states, coordinated by the German Ministry of Economic Affairs, has been jointly preparing the IPCEI-AI. This initiative focuses on AI that is transforming various sectors: autonomous manufacturing, robotics, AI-driven logistics, autonomous driving systems, and energy-efficient AI operations.
The goal is a sovereign European AI continuum: a chain spanning data provision and training infrastructure, through open foundation models and advanced fine-tuning, to sector-specific applications.
Why is it important for the Netherlands and Dutch companies and organizations to participate?
Those who have a seat at the table have influence. Membership gives the Netherlands the opportunity to embed national priorities in European reference models. Examples include data sharing and sector-specific AI models for the manufacturing industry, agri-food, healthcare, energy, and mobility—all built on European frameworks for trust, security, and compliance.
The IPCEI-AI does not stand alone. It is part of a broader IPCEI ecosystem in which computing power, cloud services, data, and software function as an integrated chain. The Netherlands is already connected to parts of that ecosystem. The IPCEI-AI is the missing link.
Specifically, participation offers three benefits:
- A place in the core European coalition, with access to pan-European development and demonstration projects
- A role in European networks focused onfoundation modelsandsector-specific platforms
- The opportunity to leverage Dutch strengths in areas where Europe lacks scale or coordination.
When will the Netherlands participate?
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and RVO have launched a survey to gauge interest among companies in the AI and cloud value chain. The Netherlands will only join the IPCEI-AI if the industry demonstrates sufficient interest and the government allocates the necessary budget. That budget has not yet been secured. The results of the survey will help determine whether the government takes that step.
How do you participate?
You can express your interest until March 25, 2026, viathe IPCEI AI Expression of Interest. To register, visit:ipcei-ai@rvo.nl
