CEE AI Action Plan: A Turning Point for Central and Eastern Europe

At our official side event in Gdańsk, organized during the Polish EU Presidency, the AI Chamber launched the CEE AI Action Plan – a bold and actionable roadmap to unlock the region’s AI potential and reposition Central and Eastern Europe as a global innovation leader.

With over 150 million citizens and a GDP of €2.5 trillion, CEE has the talent, technical depth, and entrepreneurial spirit to lead in the era of artificial intelligence. But the region faces a stark challenge: while AI adoption in Western Europe averages 13.5%, in CEE it’s still as low as 4–6%. This gap must be closed quickly and strategically.

The CEE AI Action Plan is our direct response to that challenge – and opportunity.

What’s inside the Plan?

Based on hard economic data and co-created with partners from across the region, the Action Plan outlines five strategic pillars designed to empower SMEs, attract investment, and foster a globally competitive innovation ecosystem:

1. Infrastructure – Build a regional HPC (High-Performance Computing) network accessible to startups, researchers, and SMEs.
2. Data – Launch the CEE Open Data Knowledge Network to simplify access, ensure trust, and enable transborder innovation.
3. Human Capital – Fund over 1,000 AI scholarships, launch practical education programs, and create a “Brain Circulation” initiative to bring talent back to the region.
4. Regulation – Establish regional AI sandboxes and a CEE AI Policy Council to support legal clarity and startup experimentation under the AI Act.
5. Financing – Mobilize national innovation funds, create university-based AI hubs, and bridge the CEE-West VC gap.
   

What’s at stake?

AI could increase CEE’s GDP by up to €100–135 billion annually – equivalent to the entire economy of Hungary or Croatia. But without swift, coordinated action, those gains could shrink to just €15 billion. Time is critical.

The Plan reflects growing momentum from across the region. Leaders like Jan Kavalírek (Deputy Minister of Industry, Czechia), Gabriele Mazzini (EU AI Act author), and innovators such as Mark Boris Andrijanič, Magdalena Cicharska, and Theodor V Panayotov joined us in Gdańsk to shape this agenda.

From regulatory reform to AI gigafactories, from inclusive design to startup financing – the message is clear: CEE is ready to lead.

Let’s build the future. Together.

The next 12 to 24 months will define CEE’s place in Europe’s digital economy. We call on policymakers, founders, investors, and researchers to join us in turning this blueprint into real, scalable progress.

Download the full CEE AI Action Plan here:
https://aiactionplan.eu