Last week, the EIT AI Community had the pleasure of co-locating the International AI Summit with Forum Europe, contributing to a timely and much-needed European conversation on the future of artificial intelligence. Alongside the main conference programme, we hosted two dedicated parallel workshops that brought together AI founders, industry professionals, policymakers, and ecosystem builders for open and practical exchanges.
What stood out across both sessions was the quality of the dialogue. Rather than abstract positioning, participants engaged directly with the real challenges Europe is navigating today - from regulation and innovation trade-offs to the structural conditions needed for AI companies to scale responsibly.
From regulation to real-world practice
The first workshop focused on innovation frameworks under the EU AI Act, using an interactive roundtable format to explore how compliance and innovation can realistically coexist. The discussion moved quickly from theory to practice, surfacing where friction is most acutely felt by startups and industry actors, and where clearer guidance, shared interpretations, and collaboration could help unlock progress.
Rather than framing regulation as a blocker, participants examined how trust, accountability, and innovation can reinforce one another - provided the right support structures are in place.
Ecosystems, scale-up and Europe’s competitive edge
The second session shifted the lens towards AI ecosystems and scale-up challenges, adopting a more exploratory, think-tank style exchange. Contributors shared first-hand experiences around barriers to growth, competitiveness, and access to talent, capital, and skills. The discussion highlighted the importance of ecosystem maturity, cross-sector collaboration, and education in enabling European AI companies to grow and compete globally.
Across both workshops, there was a clear willingness to challenge assumptions, listen actively, and build on each other’s perspectives - exactly the kind of constructive dialogue needed to shape Europe’s trusted AI future.
Strong collaboration across the ecosystem
These workshops were organised in close collaboration with 28DIGITAL, Manolo, LLM Bridge, AI on Demand, Tango, and CERTAIN, whose contributions helped ground the conversations in real-world expertise and diverse perspectives from across the AI value chain.
We would also like to thank Forum Europe for the strong partnership around the Summit and for providing a platform that connects policy, industry, and innovation at a European and global level.
Sessions from the main conference will be shared via the Forum Global YouTube channel, offering continued access to the broader discussions that took place during the Summit.
As Europe continues to define its role in the global AI landscape, creating spaces for honest, informed, and collaborative exchange remains essential. We’re grateful to everyone who contributed their time, insights, and openness and we look forward to continuing these conversations in the months ahead.
