Written by Velina Lilyanova.
The Next Generation EU recovery instrument, and in particular the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), with its target to dedicate at least 20 % of funding to the digital objectives, contribute significantly to one of EU’s core priorities, the digital transformation. A number of reports acknowledge the RRF as a primary contributor to most of the Digital Decade targets, namely the digital transformation of businesses and public services, as well as building digital skills and infrastructure across the EU.
This briefing aims to give a flavour of what Member States’ national recovery and resilience plans (NRRPs) bring to boost investment and innovation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in particular. The first part provides background information on what the EU does (in terms of regulation and investment) to ensure its competitiveness in the field. The second part contains a set of country examples outlining selected measures from various NRRPs.
AI is an advanced technology, and before unlocking all the opportunities it holds, Member States need to address barriers to its widespread uptake, such as regulatory issues, shortage of digitally skilled professionals, low digitalisation of companies and others. In a broad sense, all digital measures in the NRRPs help create enabling conditions allowing the development and uptake of more advanced digital innovations. Within the NRRPs, AI-related measures can fall under different categories: investment in research and development; digitalisation of businesses; digital public services; digital capacities; and deployment of advanced technologies. Some NRRPs (such as Spain’s) envisage specific financing to boost AI development, while in others support is rather indirect.
Overall, the NRRPs help pave the way for subsequent initiatives in developing AI. The RRF funds come on top of dedicated EU funding from other programmes, and although they will not suffice to close the investment gap in the field, they are a step towards boosting the EU’s ambition.
Read the complete briefing on ‘Investment in artificial intelligence in the National Recovery and Resilience Plans‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.
Comments are closed for this post.