Key takeaway from the 2024 European Convergence Summit on AI, Data and Robotics and Europe’s Net Zero objectives
This document is one of the results of the ADRA-e project that received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe under grant agreement 101070336.
The ECS is designed to benefit ADRA, developing a new approach of work in innovation and research in AI, big data and robotics. The ECS highlights how AI, big data, and robotics research and innovation stakeholders can address a key socioeconomic challenge facing Europe and propose impactful solutions. In 2024, the ECS focused on exploring how AI, data, and robotics technologies could contribute to achieving the European Commission's decarbonisation goals by 2050.
The outcome of this ECS and Key takeaways are summarized below*:
✅ General recommendations:
To achieve affordable automation, a robust computing continuum, and a strong European data strategy, it is essential to invest in safe and intelligent robotics, integrate cloud and edge infrastructure, enhance data interoperability and trust, and foster collaboration between public and private sectors while ensuring ethical standards and global competitiveness.
✅ Specific recommendations:
To advance sustainability and green digitalization, enhance energy efficiency in AI, and improve manufacturing and rail transport, it is crucial to adopt sustainable practices, invest in HPC hardware, optimize data usage, involve the public in AI development, and promote interdisciplinary collaboration and education.
✅ Long-term Recommendations for Europe:
To enhance global competitiveness, Europe should scale up and enter global markets, maintain public investments in AI, Data and robotics, ensure adaptable and proactive regulation, build necessary infrastructure, and focus on market demand and ecosystem support.
✅ Ethical and Legal Compliance:
To ensure ethical and legal compliance, developing and applying ethical principles in robotics and AI are crucial, then, transparency and fairness should be ensured to comply with regulations like the European AI Act. Furthermore, prioritizing consumer protection and human rights through public involvement and a human-centric approach are key.
✅ Cross-Technology and Cross-Sector Collaboration:
To foster cross-technology and cross-sector collaboration, it is essential to develop a technology-enabled EU investment plan for decarbonization, stimulate collaboration and knowledge sharing, prioritize sustainability, support companies in developing skills, and outline business models to keep pace with technological innovation.
* Complete description of the ECS24 in the document “D4.1 Summit report“ available at https://adr-association.eu/publications