Speaking on the Visionary Stage at NEXUS Luxembourg 2026, Heli Harrikari, Head of EU Strategy at DIMECC, argued that Europe already possesses many of the ingredients needed for AI leadership. The challenge now is to better connect researchers, innovators, businesses and public organisations within a common ecosystem. We spoke with her to better understand the full scope of the AI-on-Demand platform's mission.

How would you describe the AIoD platform in practical terms? What concrete problem is AIoD solving for Europe's AI ecosystem?

“AI-on-Demand is essentially Europe’s common meeting place for AI. Europe has world-class research, innovative startups, strong industrial players, and public organisations that are all working on AI, but too often these activities happen in silos. The result is fragmentation, duplication of effort, and missed opportunities for collaboration.

AIoD helps bring these communities together. It provides a single access point where users can discover AI solutions, research results, tools, datasets, expertise, and collaboration opportunities. In practical terms, it makes it easier for organisations to find what already exists, connect with the right partners, and accelerate their AI journey rather than starting from scratch.”

How does the platform help bridge the gap between research excellence and real-world business adoption?

“Europe has no shortage of excellent AI research. The challenge is often translating that research into practical business value.

AIoD helps bridge this gap by making research outputs more visible and accessible to companies, public organisations, and innovators. Through the platform, businesses can discover technologies, solutions, and expertise that might otherwise remain hidden within research projects or academic networks.

At the same time, researchers gain better visibility into real industry needs and opportunities for collaboration. The platform creates a two-way connection between those developing AI innovations and those looking to deploy them. This is where real impact happens: when research and business are not operating separately but as part of the same ecosystem.”

Who are the key stakeholders behind the project, and how do they contribute to its development?

“AIoD is a truly European effort, gathering 28 partners from 13 countries. It brings together research organisations, universities, innovation hubs, industry representatives, technology providers, and public sector stakeholders from across Europe.

What makes the initiative particularly valuable is that it is not being built by a single organisation for the ecosystem. It is being built together with the ecosystem. Different partners contribute expertise in areas such as technology development, business engagement, user experience, community building, and policy alignment.

This collaborative approach ensures that the platform reflects the needs of diverse user groups and evolves in a way that creates value for the entire European AI community.”

The platform includes features such as the Business Navigator and the Marketplace. Beyond helping users discover AI solutions, what role do these services play in strengthening Europe's AI ecosystem and increasing the visibility of European innovators?

“The Business Navigator and Marketplace are much more than discovery tools. They help create connections that might not otherwise happen.

One of Europe’s challenges is that many excellent AI innovations remain relatively invisible outside their immediate networks. By providing a structured way to showcase solutions, expertise, and success stories, these services help increase the visibility of European innovators and technology providers.

They also support trust-building. Organisations looking to adopt AI often need guidance, examples, and reliable partners. The platform helps them navigate the landscape and identify relevant solutions more efficiently.

Ultimately, these services contribute to a stronger European AI market by making it easier for innovators to reach customers, partners, investors, and collaborators across borders.”

Looking ahead three to five years, what would success look like for the AIoD platform? Is it about the number of users, the number of solutions available on the platform, the level of AI adoption across Europe — or something else entirely?

“Of course, metrics such as users, solutions, and platform activity are important indicators, but for me they are not the ultimate measure of success.

Success means that AIoD becomes a recognised and trusted cornerstone of Europe’s AI ecosystem. It should be the place people naturally turn to when they are looking for AI expertise, partners, technologies, or opportunities for collaboration.

Most importantly, success is about impact. Are we helping more European organisations adopt AI? Are we enabling more cross-border collaboration? Are we accelerating the journey from research to innovation and from innovation to market? Are European AI providers becoming more visible and competitive globally?

If we can demonstrate that AIoD is helping Europe work together more effectively and turning its AI excellence into real-world value, then we have succeeded.”