CAIRNE Timeline

2018–2025: A Pan‑European Journey in AI

CAIRNE’s evolution began with a bold vision for “AI made in Europe.” From its inception as a grassroots initiative in 2018, the organisation quickly expanded its network of research labs, industry partners, and policy influencers. Over the years, the community has actively shaped European AI policy, fostered international collaborations, and championed a human‑centred, trustworthy approach to AI.technological sovereignty.

2024–2026: Rebranding and Strategic Growth

  • From CLAIRE to CAIRNE:
    Following a legal challenge over its acronym, the organisation rebranded as CAIRNE while maintaining its full name (“Confederation of Laboratories for Artificial Intelligence Research in Europe AISBL”) and mission. A new website (cairne.eu) and updated social media identities now represent this next chapter.
  • Launch of the NoLeFa Project:
    CAIRNE became a partner in the Digital Europe Programme project NoLeFa, supporting the implementation of the AI Act through stakeholder engagement, dissemination, community building and outreach activities.
  • Launch of the Guimarães Office:
    CAIRNE expanded its distributed office network through the establishment of its Guimarães Office, hosted by LASI/ALGORITMI at the University of Minho, strengthening engagement with the Portuguese AI ecosystem and increasing the network to nine offices across Europe.
  • Open Letter: “Now is the Time to Create a CERN for AI”:
    CAIRNE published an open letter calling for the creation of an independent European AI organisation to strengthen Europe’s scientific excellence, technological sovereignty and long-term competitiveness in Artificial Intelligence.
  • Launch of the KnoWare Project:
    CAIRNE joined the Horizon Europe KnoWare project, leading ecosystem-building activities and liaison with the European AI Office, ADRA and other European initiatives to support the responsible development and governance of General-Purpose AI.
  • Launch of the GenAI4EU Nexus Project:
    CAIRNE became a partner in the GenAI4EU Nexus project, supporting the development of a coordinated European ecosystem for trustworthy Generative AI and strengthening collaboration across the European AI community.

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2021–2023: Expansion, Partnerships, and Recurring Initiatives

  • New Office Launches and Pan‑European Presence:
    CAIRNE significantly expanded its geographical footprint through the launch of new regional offices across Europe. These offices strengthened engagement with local AI ecosystems, hosted community events, facilitated dialogue with policymakers, and reinforced collaboration between research, industry and public institutions. The Office Launch Roadshow and Theme Development Workshops further supported the development of a connected European AI community.
  • Theme Development Workshops:
    A series of Theme Development Workshops brought together experts from across Europe to identify strategic research priorities, foster collaboration and shape future research directions. 
  • Rising Researchers Network (R2Net):
    Building on its Research Network and Innovation Network, CAIRNE launched the Rising Researchers Network (R2Net) to support the next generation of European AI scientists. Through networking events, paper highlights, workshops and dedicated activities, R2Net strengthened opportunities for early-career researchers across Europe.
  • Special Interest Group on Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects of AI (SIG-ELS):
    CAIRNE established SIG-ELS to foster interdisciplinary collaboration on the ethical, legal and societal implications of Artificial Intelligence. The group supports research, policy discussions and community engagement to ensure European AI development remains responsible, trustworthy and human-centred.
  • Launch of the CONVOLVE Project:
    The organisation became a partner in the Horizon Europe CONVOLVE project, contributing communication, dissemination and ecosystem-building activities supporting Europe’s next generation of trustworthy AI hardware and Edge AI technologies. 
  • German AI Award:
    CAIRNE became a partner of the German AI Award, recognising excellence in Artificial Intelligence research and innovation while strengthening connections between academia, industry and entrepreneurship.
  • Strategic Collaborations and Memoranda of Understanding:
    CAIRNE established a series of strategic partnerships and Memoranda of Understanding with leading European organisations to strengthen collaboration across Artificial Intelligence, robotics, healthcare, standardisation and responsible AI. These included partnerships with ERCIS, the HIPPO AI Foundation, euRobotics, StandICT.eu and ELSA Labs, reinforcing CAIRNE’s role as a coordinating force within the European AI ecosystem.
  • Founding Member of ADRA:
    The organisation became a founding member of the AI, Data and Robotics Association (ADRA), helping coordinate Europe’s AI, Data and Robotics community. 
  • Moonshot in Artificial Intelligence:
    Together with euRobotics, CAIRNE developed and published the Moonshot in Artificial Intelligence proposal, presenting a long-term vision for large-scale European investment in trustworthy, multicultural Generative AI systems and strengthening Europe’s technological sovereignty. The proposal later became the foundation for CAIRNE’s advocacy for a European AI Moonshot and a large-scale European AI research infrastructure.
  • Ongoing Policy Influence:
    Throughout 2021–2023, CAIRNE continued to provide evidence-based recommendations to the European Commission and other institutions, contributing to discussions on AI regulation, funding priorities, public-private partnerships and Europe’s long-term strategy for trustworthy and competitive Artificial Intelligence.

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2018–2020: Laying the Foundations

  • Inception and Community Formation:
    More than 600 leading AI researchers united in June 2018 to launch the initiative, establishing a shared vision for European excellence in Artificial Intelligence. This marked the beginning of a pan-European community dedicated to fostering scientific excellence, collaboration and trustworthy, human-centred AI.
  • Establishment of the Research Network:
    Following its launch, CAIRNE established the Research Network, bringing together leading AI research groups from across Europe. The network laid the foundations for scientific collaboration, knowledge exchange and coordinated European AI research.
  • Launch of the AI Special Interest Group on Space:
    CAIRNE launched its first Special Interest Group (SIG-Space), creating a dedicated community connecting AI researchers, industry and institutional stakeholders working at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Space technologies.
  • Incorporation as an International Association (AISBL):
    CAIRNE (then CLAIRE) became an international non-profit association under Belgian law (AISBL), providing a formal governance structure to support its expanding European community and activities.
  • Partnership with ERCIS on AI for Good and AI for All:
    CAIRNE and ERCIS agreed to work together on the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Information Systems, supporting shared goals around AI for Good and AI for All.
  • Strategic Policy Engagement:
    CAIRNE provided detailed recommendations to the European Commission that helped shape the European AI strategy, the White Paper on AI and discussions surrounding Europe’s future AI ecosystem. The organisation also played a leading role in the ICT-48 initiative, helping establish the European Networks of AI Centres of Excellence, including TAILOR, HumanE-AI-Net, AI4Media and VISION.
  • ICT-48 and European AI Centres of Excellence:
    Building on the CAIRNE Vision, key members of the community coordinated proposals under the European Commission’s ICT-48 call, helping establish the first pan-European Networks of AI Centres of Excellence. The resulting projects—including TAILOR, HumanE-AI-Net, AI4Media and VISION—created enduring research collaborations and significantly strengthened Europe’s AI research landscape.
  • COVID-19 Taskforce:
    CAIRNE rapidly established a dedicated COVID-19 Taskforce, bringing together approximately 150 AI experts from across Europe. The taskforce coordinated AI-based responses to the pandemic, producing the Open Letter on AI against COVID-19, developing shared data resources, establishing an Infodemic Observatory, supporting AI-enabled diagnostics, and publishing recommendations on the role of AI during the pandemic.
  • Launch of the Innovation Network:
    Recognising the need to strengthen links between excellent research and real-world deployment, CAIRNE launched the Innovation Network. The network brought together industry, startups, SMEs and innovators to accelerate the translation of European AI research into practical applications and strengthen Europe’s AI innovation ecosystem.

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Office Founding: Cornerstones of the CAIRNE Network

A key element of CAIRNE’s pan-European strategy is the establishment of regional offices. Hosted by leading research institutes, universities and innovation organisations, these offices provide direct links to Europe’s most prominent AI communities. This distributed network enables close collaboration between internationally recognised centres of excellence, facilitates the exchange of expertise across borders, strengthens engagement with regional stakeholders, and ensures that local innovation contributes to a coordinated European AI ecosystem. Today, CAIRNE’s network spans nine offices across Europe, each serving as a gateway between regional AI communities and CAIRNE’s broader European mission. 

The Hague (Headquarters):
As the founding office, The Hague remains the strategic centre of CAIRNE’s operations, coordinating pan-European activities and providing organisational leadership.

Visit CAIRNE | Office The Hague

Brussels:
Hosted by FARI – AI for the Common Good Institute (VUB & ULB), the Brussels office strengthens engagement with EU institutions, ensuring that CAIRNE’s expertise and policy recommendations contribute to European AI policymaking.

Visit CAIRNE | Office Brussels

Guimarães:
Hosted by LASI – Intelligent Systems Associate Laboratory and ALGORITMI Research Centre at the University of Minho, the Guimarães office strengthens engagement with the Portuguese AI ecosystem and supports collaboration across Southern Europe.

Visit CAIRNE | Guimarães Office

Oslo:
Hosted by the Norwegian Artificial Intelligence Research Consortium (NORA), the Oslo office serves as CAIRNE’s hub for the Nordic region, strengthening collaboration between Norwegian AI researchers, industry and public institutions while connecting them to the wider European AI community.

Visit CAIRNE | Oslo office

Paris:
Hosted by Inria, the Paris office connects CAIRNE with France’s world-leading AI research ecosystem, fostering collaboration between research organisations, universities, industry and public-sector stakeholders.

Visit CAIRNE | Paris office

Prague:
Hosted by the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC CTU) at the Czech Technical University in Prague, the Prague office promotes collaboration across Central and Eastern Europe and strengthens CAIRNE’s regional presence.

Visit CAIRNE | Office Prague

Rome:
Hosted by the Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering at Sapienza University of Rome, the Rome office supports collaboration across Italy’s AI community and contributes to a strong and inclusive European AI ecosystem.

Visit CAIRNE | Rome office

Saarbruecken:
Hosted by the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), the Saarbrücken office connects one of Europe’s leading AI research centres with the broader CAIRNE network and supports collaboration across academia and industry.

Visit CAIRNE | Saarbruecken office

Zurich:
The Zurich office strengthens CAIRNE’s engagement with Switzerland’s internationally recognised AI research ecosystem, bringing together leading researchers and innovators from institutions including ETH Zurich and the wider Swiss AI community to foster cross-border collaboration and scientific excellence.

Visit CAIRNE | Zurich office

From its founding in 2018 to its evolution into CAIRNE, the organisation has grown into the world’s largest pan-European AI network, bringing together more than 500 organisations, representing over 27,000 employees across 39 countries. Through scientific excellence, influential policy contributions, European projects, strategic partnerships, Special Interest Groups, and a network of nine regional offices, CAIRNE continues to strengthen Europe’s position in trustworthy, human-centred and competitive Artificial Intelligence.

On behalf of CAIRNE’s Board, the commitment remains clear: through collaboration, scientific excellence and shared purpose, Europe can build an AI ecosystem that reflects its values while fostering innovation, competitiveness and long-term technological sovereignty.

Our vision