EU, Philippines strengthen digital ties with AI Lab launch

MANILA, Philippines — The European Union and the Philippines have announced the launch of the EU–Philippines AI Industry Lab, expanding their digital cooperation under the Global Gateway Strategy, which now involves a total of euro 40 million in funding.

The new EU–Philippines AI Industry Lab, announced at the 2026 AI Forum organized by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, follows a three-day joint mission organized by the EU and the Department of Science and Technology. The mission brought together experts from Europe and local private sector to strengthen AI cooperation.

The EU said the AI Lab, which will be established through the Department of Science and Technology under its National AI Center for Research and Innovation program, reflects the shared commitment of the EU and the Philippines to harness the opportunities of digital transformation and emerging technologies while promoting openness, trust, security and responsible innovation.

“The EU–Philippines AI Industry Lab will foster a dynamic and inclusive artificial intelligence ecosystem for the European and Philippine industry, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups as part of the National AI Strategy for the Philippines,” the EU said.

These include developing AI infrastructure and data ecosystems; promoting principled, trustworthy technology adoption across industries; building skills and talent partnerships; improving market access and laying the groundwork to facilitate investments.

The EU and the Philippines intend to promote research and development opportunities between public and private sector organizations, foster the sharing of expertise, and support the translation of research into real-world applications and industrial impact.

“It will advance the principled technology infusion of AI – the deep and seamless integration of digital tools, systems and innovation into business operations, services, curricula and complex engineering environments – so that AI becomes a core capability, not an add-on,” the EU said.

Following the signature in July 2026 by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas and Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro of the Joint Statement elevating EU–Philippines relations to an enhanced partnership and the recently concluded negotiations for a free trade agreement, both sides are deepening cooperation to build a more robust, resilient and mutually beneficial bilateral partnership.

In practice, the AI Lab will establish the enabling AI ecosystem through infrastructure, cloud services, data sets – including Earth Observation Data from Copernicus, Geospatial Analytics and Technology Solutions and other DOST programs’ data – and development of AI use cases in priority sectors such as energy, health, environment and disaster resilience.

It will also drive a skills and talent partnership for AI deployment by connecting European and Philippine businesses and innovators with technical expertise, innovation advisory services and European technology know-how from European Digital Innovation Hubs and AI Factories, alongside public-private partnerships with EU private-sector actors in the Philippines and local universities.

To support promising AI solutions as they grow, the AI Lab will facilitate investment and market access by promoting technology standards and drawing on EU experience in interoperability, cybersecurity, data protection, intellectual property and human-centric AI governance, while enabling AI solutions to be tested under a ‘test before invest’ approach.

“By bringing together public and private stakeholders, the AI Industry Lab seeks to create new opportunities for innovation, competitiveness, and sustainable economic growth and investment for both the Philippines and the EU,” the EU said. — Michael Punongbayan