9-10 June

The SQUARE Brussels Convention Centre

Europe’s AI ambition is expanding. With the AI Act in force, the AI Continent Action Plan adopted and the Apply AI Strategy underway, the policy framework is established. The key question now is whether the ecosystem is functioning effectively: whether SMEs and public administrations can access the right infrastructure, obtain trusted guidance, and progress from initial interest to meaningful AI adoption. This is the central question that this year’s Summit seeks to address. 

The EDIH Summit 2026 brings together the full European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) network, EU institutions, Member States, AI infrastructures and innovation actors to examine how Europe’s AI ecosystem functions in practice. Sessions will explore how EDIHs connect organisations with other actors of the EU AI innovation ecosystem such as AI Factories, Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs) and regulatory sandboxes; how common tools and assessment frameworks support this work; and how proven approaches can be scaled across regions and sectors. A forward-looking thread runs throughout: as generative and agentic AI reshape what organisations need, how must support structures adapt? 

For EDIHs, the Summit provides an opportunity to compare approaches, bring shared challenges to the fore, and identify areas where closer coordination is required. It also offers a timely occasion to reflect on the evolving role of the hubs as AI experience centres, serving not merely as access points, but as active guides within a rapidly changing technological and regulatory landscape. The programme is built around practical exchange and concrete outputs, with space for EDIHs to contribute directly to discussions that will shape the network’s priorities in the year ahead.