Businesses in the Philippines will be able to test artificial intelligence (AI) solutions before investing through the planned EU–Philippines AI Industry Lab, which will support access to computing infrastructure, data, and technical expertise.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will establish the facility as an allied lab under its National AI Center for Research and Innovation (NAICRI) program. The initiative forms part of EU–Philippines digital cooperation under the Global Gateway Strategy, which now amounts to 40 million euros.
Announced at the ECCP-organized 2026 AI Forum, the lab will help develop AI applications for energy, health, the environment, and disaster resilience. It will serve European and Philippine industry, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and startups.
The lab’s “test before invest” approach will allow businesses to try promising AI solutions before committing funds. This gives companies a way to assess how the technology could fit their operations as they prepare for wider use.
Its planned resources include cloud services and data sets from Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, Geospatial Analytics and Technology Solutions (GATES), and other DOST programs. These resources will support the development of AI applications in the lab’s priority sectors.
Alongside access to technology, the lab will connect businesses and innovators with technical experts and advisers. European Digital Innovation Hubs and AI Factories will contribute technology expertise, with partnerships also involving European private-sector companies in the Philippines and local universities.
The skills component will support businesses as they put AI into use. The broader goal is to make AI part of everyday operations, services, education, and engineering work, with applications developed around the needs of each sector.
Research partnerships between public and private organizations will also be supported. The EU and the Philippines intend to share expertise and help turn research findings into tools that businesses and other organizations can use.
For solutions ready to grow, the lab will help facilitate investment and access to markets. Its work will draw on European experience in cybersecurity, data protection, intellectual property, and standards that allow different systems to work together.
The initiative also includes AI governance, or rules for how the technology is developed and used, with an emphasis on keeping people’s interests central to decisions.
The announcement followed a three-day joint EU–DOST mission on AI research and innovation. The lab will support the National AI Strategy for the Philippines and the implementation of the EU–Philippines Enhanced Partnership signed in July 2026.