Partnerships
EMBL
The partnership focuses on enhanced collaboration in AI and the life sciences by stimulating scientific exchange, training, and the development of innovative projects. By leveraging their combined expertise and networks, the two organisations aim to position Europe at the forefront of AI-driven advances in life sciences research.
A key emphasis is placed on strengthening data infrastructures and promoting researcher mobility, particularly for early-career scientists. By consolidating expertise and resources, EMBL and ELLIS seek to build a robust ecosystem that fosters innovation and excellence in AI research across Europe.
MoU signed in January 2025: Read the press release
CIFAR
This expanded collaboration aims to strengthen global AI research and training through the ELLIS PhD and Postdoc Program. Building on a shared commitment to scientific excellence and societal impact, the partnership provides ELLIS PhD students with enhanced access to and collaboration with leading AI researchers.
Under the collaboration, CIFAR Fellows and Canada AI Chairs join ELLIS advisors, enabling students to work across Europe and North America. This cross-continental model elevates research excellence and supports top researchers in mentoring the next generation of AI leaders.
MoU signed in November 2024: Read the press release
Max Planck Artificial Intelligence Network (MP-AIX)
This partnership strengthens ELLIS’s role in training the next generation of AI researchers through collaboration with the Max Planck Artificial Intelligence Network (MP-AIX). The initiative expands doctoral opportunities for young scientists across Europe, connecting them with world-leading faculty and fostering interdisciplinary research at the forefront of machine learning and its applications.
MP-AIX is a doctoral program initiated and funded by the Max Planck Society, offering fully funded PhD fellowships in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and related application areas. Its distinctive dual-supervision model brings together advisors from different Max Planck institutes, with the option of co-advisors from the ELLIS network. Through ELLIS’s involvement, students benefit from structured training and a vibrant exchange of expertise across Europe’s AI ecosystem.
Established in September 2025: Read the press release
RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project
The partnership promotes international collaboration in education and research, with a particular focus on learning and intelligent systems. It supports the exchange of research and academic materials and publications, as well as visits and exchanges of faculty, research scholars, and students.
The collaboration also includes the organisation of educational and research meetings—such as seminars and symposia—and the establishment of joint research projects, strengthening long-term cooperation between the partners.
MoU signed in August 2019 and extended in December 2024
International Computation and AI Network (ICAIN)
The network aims to broaden access to supercomputing, data, and software infrastructures, operating at the intersection of the public and private sectors, academia, and civil society. Through this initiative, ELLIS joins forces with international partners to address global inequality in AI.
By expanding access to critical resources, ICAIN enables international research projects that deliver societal benefit and align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Founding partners further contribute by sharing AI expertise and experience widely across the network.
Announced in January 2024: Read the press release