Europe’s AI ecosystem is evolving through interconnected initiatives linking research, industry, innovation support and advanced computing infrastructure. These efforts are increasingly focused on strengthening the entire AI value chain—from fundamental research and talent development to the deployment and commercialization of AI solutions. European research institutions, technology companies, startups and public-sector organizations are building closer partnerships, while innovation hubs and funding programs help translate scientific advances into market-ready applications. At the same time, investments in high-performance and AI-optimised computing infrastructure are expanding access to the resources needed to develop, train and deploy increasingly sophisticated models. Together, these initiatives are helping Europe build a more integrated and competitive AI ecosystem, while also supporting strategic priorities around technological sovereignty, responsible innovation, data access and the secure adoption of AI across key sectors.
Aiming at closing the gap between AI research and deployment in Serbia and Europe and strengthening Serbia’s role in the European AI landscape, the SAIFA consortium is organizing a special session at the forthcoming Telecommunications Forum TELFOR 2
026. TELFOR is an annual meeting of professionals working in the broad fields of Telecommunications and Information Technologies. On the 24th, 25th, and 26th of November 2026, TELFOR will be held for the 34th time as an IEEE co-organized and co-supported international event, with over 1,000 participants expected. The School of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade is traditionally one of the main organizers of the TELFOR event.
The SAIFA session will explore how EuroHPC initiatives, European Digital Innovation Hubs, AI Factories and AI Factory Antennas work together to support AI development and adoption and connect national ecosystems with European resources and expertise. Drawing on Serbia’s experience through its EuroHPC activities, S4AI_HUB and SAIFA – the Serbian AI Factory Antenna, the session will highlight opportunities for collaboration, access to AI and HPC capabilities, technology transfer and industry engagement.
For more information about the event, please proceed to the TELFOR website or the paper registration page.
SAIFA (Serbian AI Factory Antenna)
Co-funded by the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) under Grant Agreement No. 101263280.