THE European Union and the Philippines have launched an artificial intelligence (AI) industry lab to help businesses adopt AI, improve productivity and compete in global markets.
Backed by 40 million euros in funding, the EU-Philippines AI Industry Lab is part of digital cooperation under the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy.
It is established as an allied lab under the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) National AI Center for Research and Innovation program, and will promote responsible, secure and human-centered innovation aligned with democratic values and the National AI Strategy for the Philippines.
The initiative was announced on Thursday at the 2026 AI Forum organized by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines. It followed a three-day joint research and innovation mission organized by the EU and DOST.
The project advances the EU-Philippines Enhanced Partnership, formalized in a joint statement signed in July by European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas and Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro. It also comes amid the substantial conclusion of free trade agreement negotiations between the two sides.
The lab will focus on infrastructure and data, skills development, governance and security, and market access and investment.
It will provide access to cloud services and datasets, including Earth observation data from the EU’s Copernicus program and data from DOST programs. These resources will support AI applications in energy, health, environmental protection and disaster resilience.
To develop skills, the initiative will connect Philippine and EU businesses with European Digital Innovation Hubs, AI factories, private companies and universities. These links aim to integrate AI into business operations, curricula and engineering.
The lab will also apply EU frameworks for cybersecurity, data protection, intellectual property and human-centered AI governance while promoting interoperability and common technology standards.
For micro, small and medium enterprises, startups and other businesses, a “test before invest” framework will allow them to assess AI solutions before committing resources. The initiative seeks to help them expand, attract investment and join global value chains.
The European External Action Service said the lab wants to make AI a core part of business operations, accelerate technology transfer, and strengthen the competitiveness of Philippine and European enterprises.
