Projects under this grant will focus on the development and implementation of modular integration frameworks for AI-driven robotics, enabling faster deployment and interoperability across various industries. They will support the competitiveness of European industries by providing ready-to-use integration kits and guidelines, enhancing safety and performance through simulation environments, and ensuring compliance wi…
General information
- Programme
- Horizon Europe (HORIZON)2021–2027
- Call
- DIGITAL HORIZON-CL4-2027-04
- Programme part
- Pillar II · Global Challenges & CompetitivenessCluster 4 · Digital, Industry and Space
- Destination
- Achieving open strategic autonomy in digital and emerging enabling technologies (2026-27)
- Type of action
- HORIZON-IA Innovation Actions
- Type of MGA
- HORIZON-AG HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based
- Status
- Forthcoming
- Deadline model
- Single-stage
- Opening date
- 17.11.2026
- Deadline date
- 18.03.2027, 17:00 Brussels time
- Cross-cutting priorities
Budget overview
| Type of action | Budget 2027 | EU contribution per project | Grants | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HORIZON-IAInnovation Actions | €18M | €18M | 1 | 18.03.2027 |
Expected outcome
The Apply AI Strategy emphasises acceleration pipelines to ensure a smooth transition from research to deployment of AI-powered robotics. Projects under this topic will deliver common frameworks and reusable building blocks that can serve multiple sectors and use cases, reinforcing Europe’s ability to bring AI-driven robotics to scale.
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Wider and faster deployment of robotics, bridging the gap between technology providers and end-users.
- Development and implementation of modular and interoperable integration frameworks and solutions, including standardized protocols for data, training and safety testing, evaluation and validation of robotic solutions in key use cases
- Improved competitiveness of European industries, notably SMEs via the development of advanced robotics systems, intelligent planning and control systems, user feedback rendering techniques and cutting-edge AI innovations
Scope
The project will address the current European gap in system integration capabilities for robotics solutions addressing the various needs of industries. The project will aim at disseminating a deep understanding of state-of-the-art robotics components, including both hardware and software, and expertise in addressing interoperability issues for the upskilling of system integrators.
To maximise the impact and adaptability of deployed systems, the approach should consider the most appropriate tools to speed up integration processes and suitable AI design, training and inference methodologies, ensuring scalability, transferability, transparency, robustness, flexibility, and real-world applicability in diverse industrial environments, and should remain adaptable to the latest technological developments.
Integration frameworks will promote the use of energy-efficient AI models and hardware ('Green AI'), alongside carbon-aware deployment and operational strategies for robotic system. Where relevant, projects should contribute to open and widely recognised standards to foster interoperability and uptake across the robotics ecosystem. To enhance safety and performance, projects may include high-fidelity simulation environments or digital twins as testbeds for training, validation and verification, with measures to ensure smooth transfer from simulation to real-world deployment.
By bridging the gap between technology providers and end-users, these integrators will enable the creation of seamless, reliable and scalable robotics systems that can be easily adopted by industries, especially SMEs, thereby supporting more flexible and efficient production processes.
The project is expected to deliver:
- A deployable, modular integration framework, validated through at least three real-world industrial pilots covering different reference scenarios to demonstrate that the approach can be adapted to varied industrial needs and company sizes, including both SMEs and larger manufacturers. This framework should provide, for example, a common software layer, standard interfaces to connect to existing workflow and legacy system, possibly also to connect various robot components, coordinate multiple robots and link them with additional AI tools and IoT environments, as well as tested configuration templates and clear guidelines to ensure safe and efficient use.
- An Integration Kit, building on this framework, which offers ready-to-use modules, example configurations and practical tools that help system integrators and companies to set up, test and run AI-enabled robotics solutions more quickly and with reduced technical effort.
- Where relevant, high-fidelity digital twin testbeds should be linked to each pilot, allowing safe and realistic testing and training before deployment, and supporting a smooth transition from virtual models to actual production lines.
- Reusable, datasets (compliant with relevant regulation and IP protection) and practical benchmark tasks, made available to the wider robotics and AI community, to support further development and comparison of new solutions while respecting European data protection rules.
- A clear Step-by-Step Adoption Guide aimed at SMEs and other end-users, providing easy-to-follow instructions, practical checklists and examples to help companies plan, budget and implement AI-driven robotics in a safe and cost-effective way, even if they have limited in-house expertise, and including guidance to navigate regulatory compliance and certification.
- Concrete contributions to relevant open standards and clear guidance on certification pathways, to help ensure compliance with European regulations and build trust in the safe use of AI in robotics. Projects are expected to make full use of existing robotics resources and assets made available through the AI-on-Demand Platform, such as the EuroCORE repository and other relevant shared tools, to maximise synergies, avoid duplication of efforts and ensure broad dissemination and reuse of results within the European AI and robotics community.
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on AI, data, and robotics (ADRA), and all proposals are expected to allocate tasks for cohesion activities with ADRA.
Who can apply
- A consortium of at least three independent organisations from three different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries, at least one from an EU Member State.
- Ukraine has been associated to the programme since 2022: Ukrainian organisations can coordinate and receive funding on equal terms.
- Universities, research organisations, companies (including SMEs), public authorities and NGOs can take part.
Topic-specific condition: In order to achieve the expected outcomes, and safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, and security, it is important to avoid a situation of technological dependency on a non-EU source, in a global context that requires the EU to take action to build on its strengths, and to carefully assess and address any strategic weaknesses, vulnerabilities and high-risk dependencies which put at risk the attainment of its ambitions. For this reason, participation is limited to legal entities established in Member States, Iceland and Norway and the following additional associated countries: Canada, Israel, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In addition, entities established in third countries which may become associated to Horizon Europe during 2026 and 2027 may be eligible to participate in this topic if the third country is identified for this topic as an eligible country in the List of Participating Countries in Horizon Europe at the time of submission of the application[[See the List of Participating Countries in Horizon Europe available at https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/list-3rd-country-participation_horizon-euratom_en.pdf.]]. In any case, the association agreement to the Programme must apply by the time of the signature of the grant agreement.For the duly justified and exceptional reasons listed in the paragraph above, in order to guarantee the protection of the strategic interests of the Union and its Member States, entities established in an eligible country listed above, but which are directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or by a non-eligible country entity, may not participate in the action unless it can be demonstrated, by means of guarantees positively assessed by their eligible country of establishment, that their participation to the action would not negatively impact the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security . Entities established in an eligible country, but which are directly or indirectly controlled by China or by a legal entity established in China cannot submit guarantees.[[ The guarantees shall in particular substantiate that, for the purpose of the action, measures are in place to ensure that: a) control over the applicant legal entity is not exercised in a manner that retrains or restricts its ability to carry out the action and to deliver results, that imposes restrictions concerning its infrastructure, facilities, assets, resources, intellectual property or know-how needed for the purpose of the action, or that undermines its capabilities and standards necessary to carry out the action; b) access by a non-eligible country or by a non-eligible country entity to sensitive information relating to the action is prevented; and the employees or other persons involved in the action have a national security clearance issued by an eligible country, where appropriate; c) ownership of the intellectual property arising from, and the results of, the action remain within the recipient during and after completion of the action, are not subject to control or restrictions by non-eligible countries or non-eligible country entity, and are not exported outside the eligible countries, nor is access to them from outside the eligible countries granted, without the approval of the eligible country in which the legal entity is established.]]
Applicant types in our database: Higher Education Institutions (HEI), Research Institute or Organization (RnD), A Government Structure or Central Authority, Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), Non-governmental organization (NGO).
How to apply
- Register your organisation on the Funding & Tenders portal and get a PIC (9 digits).
- Build a consortium or join one: use Partner Search on the topic page.
- Download the proposal template (Part A forms, Part B narrative) in the submission system on the topic page.
- Submit by 18.03.2027, 17:00 Brussels time. The system opens on 17.11.2026.
The official topic text, templates and submission are on the Funding & Tenders topic page.
Frequently asked questions
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