ELLIS at AIS26: Advancing AI in Science Through Collaboration
Across the ELLIS network, researchers are developing the machine learning and AI methods that are transforming scientific discovery, while applying these approaches to challenges across a wide range of scientific disciplines. AI in Science is not simply a new application area for existing methods. It is a field where AI can enable entirely new approaches to discovery, while scientific challenges can in turn inspire the next breakthroughs in AI itself.
ELLIS President Serge Belongie, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Copenhagen, sees AIS26 as an important opportunity to continue building the European community around this emerging field. He has been closely involved in the Summit since its inception, serving as a Chair of the AIS25 Steering Committee and contributing to the discussions that shaped the first edition. He is continuing this engagement as a Member of the AIS26 Steering Committee.
Looking back on AIS25, I am struck by the way the Summit brought together communities that do not always have the opportunity to engage with one another at this scale: AI researchers, scientists from across disciplines, policymakers, and leaders from industry and public institutions. The launch of RAISE was a defining moment, demonstrating that Europe is ready to invest in the infrastructure and collaborations needed to make AI a genuine driver of scientific progress.
What has become increasingly clear is that AI in Science is not simply about applying existing technologies to new domains. It is a two-way exchange: scientific challenges are pushing AI forward, while advances in AI are opening new possibilities for discovery. As we move toward AIS26 in Dublin, I look forward to continuing this conversation and ensuring that science remains at the heart of Europe’s AI ambitions. The foundations we build now will shape how this field develops in the years ahead.
At AIS25 in Copenhagen, ELLIS Members played a leading scientific role throughout the Summit, contributing to discussions and workshops across key areas including Life Sciences, Materials Science, Planet and Climate, Society and Community, and Policy for AI in Science, and curating the Science for AI track. The event also marked the launch of RAISE (Resource for AI Science in Europe), the European initiative designed to strengthen collaborative frameworks for AI-enabled scientific discovery beyond simple access to computational resources and data.
The discussions and connections established at AIS25 helped create new momentum within the European research community. Following the Summit, ELLIS-affiliated researchers joined forces to fully support the goals of the RAISE initiative, especially the Science for AI pillar, demonstrating how collaboration between researchers and institutions can translate shared ambitions into world-leading, concrete action.
AIS26 builds on these foundations with a focus on the next stage of progress. This year, the Summit will look more closely at outcomes: how shared compute and data infrastructures are reaching researchers, how AI is being applied across scientific domains, including social science and humanities, and how research communities can translate ambitious goals into practical solutions. Continued discussion on public, human-centric AI, Europe’s foundational research ecosystem, and international collaboration will remain central to this effort.
ELLIS encourages researchers, policymakers, and innovators to join AIS26 in Dublin and contribute to the ongoing effort to build an ecosystem where AI and science can advance together, making the best of initiatives such as RAISE.
The conference is free to attend. Visit the official conference website to register your interest: https://www.ais26.eu/
The full programme, including plenary talks, thematic sessions, and additional activities, will be announced in the coming weeks.
Read more about the programme and the Irish Presidency's objectives on the Irish Presidency Event Page.
About AIS26
AIS26 is a flagship conference of the European Commission. It is coordinated by University College Dublin and Taighde Éireann-Research Ireland in association with Ireland’s EU Presidency Programme and part of the European AI Innovation Month. AIS26 brings together the world’s leading scientists, policy-makers, industry innovators, and investors to champion a responsible, robust, and distinctively European approach to deploying AI in scientific discovery. For researchers in AI, it offers a prime opportunity to collaborate with peers, share state-of-the-art methodologies, and actively shape the future research priorities of Europe.
AIS26 conference partners play a central role in developing the programme. In addition to ELLIS, they are: CERN; the European Alliance for Social Sciences and Humanities (EASSH); the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS); the Research Data Alliance (RDA); the Big Data Value Association (BDVA); the World Health Organisation Collaboration Centre on One Health; and the European Commission.
