What are TEFs and what do they do?
Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs) are specialised large-scale reference sites which help innovative technology providers bring their product from lab to market. This includes support for full integration, testing and experimentation of the latest mature AI technologies.
TEFs can also contribute to the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence Act by supporting AI regulatory sandboxes for supervised testing and experimentation.
The TEFs are specialised in:
Why were TEFs created?
TEFs were created to bring trustworthy AI to market more quickly and improve its uptake in EU Member States and Digital Europe Programme associated countries.
Who can benefit from TEFs?
TEFs offer support to European technology providers who want to test their latest AI-based software and hardware technologies at scale in real-world environments (Technology Readiness Levels 6-8).
Where are the TEFs located?
The 4 TEFs, which specialise in Smart Cities and Communities, Health AI and Robotics, Agrifood, and Manufacturing Innovation are spread across multiple locations (named nodes or satellites). In total, there are TEF locations in 16 EU Member States.
Funding: Each TEF has a budget between €40 and 60 million. Half of these funds come from the Digital Europe Programme, and the remaining half from other sources such as other EU funds, national or regional public funding and/or their own resources.
Webinars
Workshops on reference testing and experimentation facilities for Artificial Intelligence
In 2020, the European Commission organised a series of workshops to further refine the concept of reference testing and experimentation facilities for artificial intelligence (TEFs) with the help of the invited experts and national delegations.
Find more information, including presentations and workshops reports here.
Workshops on Sectorial Testing and Experimentation Facilities for Artificial Intelligence
A series of workshops were organised in 2021 by DG CNECT’s robotics and artificial intelligence unit to fine-tune the concept of testing and experimentation facilities.
Find more information on the workshops, including presentation slides, here.
EDIHs and AI TEFs, get to know each other
A webinar for the EDIHs and the AI TEFs, to get to know each other, was organised in March 2024. This webinar presented the AI Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs) and EDIHs (and thematic working group). Collaboration and organisation of the client journey among the AI infrastructures were discussed.
Find the information and link to the presentation and recording here.
TEF Agrifood
Find below the information on the 4 webinars organised on the collaboration between EDIHs and TEF Agrifood:
- Session 1: How a 60 million project can help EDIHs support SMEs
- Session 2: Exploring AgrifoodTEF Services, Infrastructure & Collaboration in Sweden, Spain & Belgium
- Session 3: Exploring AgrifoodTEF Services, Infrastructure & Collaboration in Austria, Denmark & Italy
- Session 4: Exploring AgrifoodTEF Services, Infrastructure & Collaboration in France, Poland & Netherlands
TEF-Health Webinar Series
A series of webinars dedicated to support SMEs and Startups on their journey from innovation to market readiness. These sessions are designed to be educational, practical, and directly relevant for product development and regulatory needs.
Find more information about the webinars here.
The recording of the first session is accesible here.
EDIHs-TEFs: Exploring cooperation pathways
This upcoming training course aims to explore how to effectively promote and mould partnerships between EDIHs and TEFs, examining roles, functions and synergies.
Visit the EDIH Network AI Ecosystem Training Programmes page for more information (assessment-based AI ACTor course).