Horizon Europe: Horizontal Activities – AI in Science

An Horizon Europe horizontal call to contribute to the implementation of the ‘Resource for AI Science in Europe‘ (RAISE) pilot and foster interdisciplinary breakthroughs at the intersection of AI and scientific discovery.

Horizon Europe is the ninth European Research and Innovation Framework programme (2021-2027). It is one of the key instruments of the European Union’s efforts to steer and accelerate Europe’s recovery, preparedness and resilience. In the context of a new European Research Area for research and innovation, it aims to strengthen Europe’s knowledge base through frontier research, spur breakthrough innovation and support the development and demonstration of innovative solutions, and help restore industrial leadership and open strategic autonomy.

Activity under Horizon Europe is primarily organised under three ‘pillars’:

• Pillar I – Excellent Science.
• Pillar II – Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness.
• Pillar III – Innovative Europe.

In the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-27, the European Commission introduced horizontal calls, which are designed to connect different parts of Horizon Europe in support of key strategic areas. By combining efforts and pooling resources, they aim to create critical mass and deliver greater impact. These topics are intentionally non-prescriptive, giving applicants the flexibility to propose different approaches for achieving the expected outcomes.

The ‘AI in Science’ call contributes to the implementation of the ‘Resource for AI Science in Europe‘ (RAISE) pilot, which supports safe, responsible, ethical and transparent AI applications across key sectors. The call seeks to foster interdisciplinary breakthroughs at the intersection of AI and scientific discovery.

The actions funded under this call are expected to create interconnected networks aiming to address the challenges of the field, going beyond the scope of the projects. They will also help build the RAISE scientific community, which will contribute to shaping modern science. Together, these initiatives represent a coordinated effort to embed AI in the core of scientific research in Europe and pave the way to RAISE.