EDIH Summit 2026: Strengthening the AI Innovation Ecosystem
9-10 June
The SQUARE Brussels Convention Centre
Europe's AI ambition expanded over the course of the Summit. With the AI Act in force, the AI Continent Action Plan adopted and the Apply AI Strategy underway, the policy framework was already established going into the event. The central question at the heart of this year's Summit was whether the ecosystem was functioning effectively: whether SMEs and public administrations could access the right infrastructure, obtain trusted guidance, and progress from initial interest to meaningful AI adoption.
The EDIH Summit 2026 brought 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 explored 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 ran throughout, as discussions returned again and again to how support structures must adapt to what generative and agentic AI now demand of organisations.
For EDIHs, the Summit was an opportunity to compare approaches, surface shared challenges, and pinpoint where closer coordination is needed. It was also a timely moment 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. Built around practical exchange, the programme delivered concrete outputs, with EDIHs contributing directly to discussions that will shape the network's priorities in the year ahead.
Photos
All photos of the Summit can be found under the links below. When posting on social media, please don't forget to tag European Digital Innovation Hubs Network (LinkedIn) / @edih_net (X) and use the hashtag #EDIHSummit26!
Recordings
All Summit sessions from the Gold Hall are now available to watch below:
Day 1:
- Welcome Speech: The New Phase of the EDIH Network
- Welcome from Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen
- Keynote Speech by Ulla Kruhse-Lehtonen + firechat
- Keynote Speech by Olga Shapoval
- Panel: EDIHs and the broad European approach to AI policy making
- EDIH Network Award Ceremony
Day 2:
- Fireside chat: EU support ecosystems in practice
- Panel: EDIH as Experience Centre for AI
- Panel: EDIHs and the AI-ready workforce: AI skills in SMEs and next steps
- Panel: From Subsidy to Sustainability: How EDIHs Can Attract Paying Clients
- Panel: Trends on agentic AI and how AI is reshaping business models and production
- Workshop: EDIHs, TEFs & AI Regulatory Sandboxes - Powering AI Innovation in European Industry
- Closing: Key Takeaways and Next Steps for the EDIH Network
Summary of key findings and presentations
The document with the key findings for all the sessions of the Summit, as well as the presentations, can be found below