The INSPIRING ERA project invites you to the upcoming INSPIRING ERA Exchange: Responsible Acceleration of Discovery in the Age of AI, taking place in Brussels on 9 November 2026. The event will bring together researchers, research managers and administrators, institutional leaders, funders, Open Science practitioners, technology-transfer and intellectual property professionals, AI and data experts, policymakers and representatives of national and European research and innovation communities to discuss how Europe can accelerate AI-enabled scientific discovery while ensuring that its use remains responsible, trustworthy, transparent and human-accountable.
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly becoming embedded across the research lifecycle. It supports literature discovery, data processing, coding, modelling, laboratory automation, research proposal development, scientific writing, knowledge management and the translation of research results into innovation. At the same time, its growing use raises important questions concerning research integrity, authorship, intellectual contribution, data quality, reproducibility, accountability, confidentiality, intellectual property, access to infrastructure and skills, and the capacity of research institutions to establish effective and interoperable approaches to responsible AI adoption.
Against this background, the Exchange will explore how the European Research Area (ERA) can support a responsible, transparent, inclusive and research-enabling approach to AI in Science. Particular attention will be given to the institutional, governance and professional-capacity conditions needed to translate European-level ambitions into practical approaches within universities and research organisations, including institutions operating with different levels of resources and digital maturity.
The discussion is particularly timely in the context of the ERA Policy Agenda 2025–2027, which includes a dedicated action on facilitating and accelerating the responsible use of AI in science in the EU, as well as the European AI in Science Strategy and RAISE – Resource for AI Science in Europe. The Exchange will contribute practice-based perspectives and recommendations relevant to responsible AI uptake across the ERA and to the development of the RAISE Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda.
Event Details
Date: 9 November 2026
Location: NCBR Brussels Office, Rue Belliard 40, Brussels, 5th floor
Time: 12:00–16:30 CET
Format: INSPIRING ERA Exchange, in person
What to Expect
The programme will combine European policy perspectives, expert interventions, practice-oriented pitching and facilitated group discussions. Rather than focusing solely on high-level principles, the Exchange will provide space for participants to share practical experiences, identify common challenges and explore approaches that can be translated into institutional and European-level action.
Highlights include:
- A European Commission perspective on the AI in Science Strategy, an enabling framework for AI-powered research in practice and the ERA Policy Agenda.
- Insights into RAISE – Resource for AI Science in Europe and priority challenges for AI in Science.
- An expert perspective on AI in research ideas, scientific writing and authorship, including automated scientific workflows.
- A dedicated Pitching Session of AI in Science Best Practices from across Europe, showcasing practical approaches and experiences that participants can potentially adapt within their own organisations.
- Interactive breakout-group discussions addressing selected challenges related to the responsible adoption and implementation of AI in Science.
- A joint discussion of the main findings and possible approaches to the identified challenges, followed by closing remarks and networking.
The Exchange will address issues such as institutional AI governance and policies, research integrity, human oversight and verification, AI in research proposals and grant applications, research ideation and scientific authorship, automated scientific workflows, Open Science and FAIR data, intellectual property and knowledge valorisation, as well as skills and capacity building for researchers and research managers.
Registration is now open
We invite researchers, research managers, institutional leaders, policymakers, funders, AI and data experts and other practitioners from across the European Research Area to join the discussion and contribute their experience.
Register for the INSPIRING ERA Exchange: Responsible Acceleration of Discovery in the Age of AI
Call for Contributions: Register for AI for European Research Best Practices Session
Selected contributors will receive reimbursement of accommodation and travel costs.
Do you have an inspiring practice, initiative or practical case demonstrating how AI can be responsibly integrated into research or implemented within research institutions?
We invite participants to contribute to the Pitching Session of AI in Science Best Practices from across Europe and share concrete approaches, tools, governance models, institutional policies, training initiatives, research-support services or research workflows that could inspire other organisations across the European Research Area. The best-practice session is designed to surface examples that participants can adapt within their own institutions, while the cases presented will also help inform the subsequent discussion of common challenges.
We are particularly interested in contributions related to:
- Implementing AI in science within research institutions, including institutional governance, policies, implementation models, skills development and research-support services;
- AI in research ideation, scientific writing and authorship, including intellectual property management, research integrity, transparency, human oversight and responsible AI adoption;
- AI-enabled and automated scientific workflows, including AI-supported and increasingly automated approaches to scientific discovery, analysis and research processes;
- AI in research proposals and grant applications, including responsible assistance, confidentiality, transparency and intellectual ownership;
- Human oversight, verification and research integrity, including approaches to validating AI-generated content, code, references, data analysis and scientific claims;
- Open Science, FAIR data, research-data governance and knowledge valorisation in the context of AI;
- Skills and capacity building for researchers, research managers and research-support professionals;
- Equitable institutional uptake of AI, including access to tools, infrastructure, data, expertise and trusted research environments.
Selected contributors will be invited to present their case during the pitching session, helping create a practical exchange of experience among researchers, research managers, institutional representatives, policymakers and other actors working on responsible AI in European science.
The workshop discussions will contribute to identifying emerging best practices and practical cases, priority actions for institutional, national and ERA-level implementation, and practice-based recommendations relevant to the RAISE Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and implementation of the ERA Action on AI in Science.
We look forward to welcoming you to Brussels and exploring together how Europe can harness AI to accelerate excellent research while safeguarding scientific quality, integrity, openness and human responsibility.
