AI-on-Demand: Europe's trusted platform for SME AI adoption

Europe's AI ecosystem remains fragmented: thousands of providers, tools and services exist, yet SMEs struggle to identify which are trustworthy and compliant. At a panel held on 10 June 2026 during Nexus Luxembourg, experts from the European Commission, Creos Luxembourg and AI-on-Demand argued that Europe's competitive edge lies not in outperforming global rivals on model benchmarks but in building a cohesive ecosystem grounded in trust, regulation and collaboration.

Why European companies are prioritising trust over performance

During the panel, experts tackled the core challenge facing European AI. Heli Harrikari, Head of EU Strategy at AI-on-Demand, noted that while Europe has "excellent innovation," its ecosystem often feels fragmented, with research, start-ups and industry working in silos. This fragmentation hinders the continent's ability to deploy solutions at scale.

This challenge is shaping how companies approach AI. Laurent Pulinckx, CIO of Creos Luxembourg, explained that corporate conversations have moved beyond simple performance metrics. "The subject is where is my data located, who can access it... is it trustable, is it explainable?" he stated, noting that for critical infrastructure, "reliability is a must."

Beyond data governance, Mr Pulinckx highlighted a practical barrier to adoption: ecosystem instability. "There are plenty of new initiatives concerning AI every day. It's really difficult to follow for a company like us," he said. For operators deploying AI on long-lived infrastructure — systems that must remain operational for years — certainty matters more than novelty. "We need to make sure that the solution we implement can be assessed, certified, to be able to run for a long time."

This focus on trust is where Europe can build a competitive advantage. Cécile Huet, Head of Unit at the European Commission, argued that the EU's regulatory framework is a core asset. Mr Pulinckx agreed, adding, "Trust is what will allow innovation at scale, and a little bit of regulation... is what's going to help to build the trust."

What is AI-on-Demand?

In a follow-up conversation, Heli Harrikari, detailed the platform's role in creating a cohesive European AI ecosystem. The AI-on-Demand (AIoD) platform, a pan-European initiative, is creating a ‘one-stop-shop’ for AI resources.

She explained that the goal is to build more than "yellow pages," but rather a central marketplace where companies can get help and find validated, compliant solutions. The platform brings together a wide array of resources, including:

• Tools and software
• Access to computing power
• Data spaces and resources
• Consulting and expertise
• Validated AI solutions aligned with the EU AI Act

A key differentiator is the platform's validation mechanism. Providers are not simply listed; they undergo a verification process to confirm their alignment with the EU AI Act before appearing on the marketplace. "Users coming to the platform can trust that the services are compliant," Mrs Harrikari explained.

The platform also connects to European Digital Innovation Hubs located in regions across Europe. These hubs promote European AI tools to local ecosystems, creating a distribution network that bridges the gap between pan-European resources and regional adoption. As Mrs Huet noted during the panel, "every single startup, SME, developer of AI solutions in Europe should register and be seen at European level.”

How Luxembourg AI Factory connects to the European ecosystem

AI-on-Demand is designed to integrate with national AI initiatives across EU member states, such as the AI Factories network. For Luxembourg-based companies, this means a user-friendly entry point to the wider European AI ecosystem; and for local AI providers, an opportunity to gain visibility across the continent.

Locally, Luxembourg AI Factory already offers the infrastructure and programmes to help SMEs build AI-ready capabilities: access to the MeluXina supercomputer for model training and testing, assessments for AI readiness and advisory support to navigate funding and compliance. These resources prepare companies to meet the trust and quality standards required by platforms like AI-on-Demand.