Last week representatives from ADAPT met with key European leaders at the European Parliament and European Commission to strengthen strategic alignment between Ireland’s AI research community and the EU’s evolving regulatory and governance landscape. Representing ADAPT were Dr Jelena Radakovic, Professor David Hickton, and Olivia Waters.
The visit formed part of a broader initiative to position Ireland as a leader in human-centric, trustworthy AI, and to explore how academic centres of excellence like ADAPT can support EU institutions in the implementation of the AI Act, transatlantic collaboration, and digital innovation across sectors.
The visit started with a meeting with MEP Brando Benifei, Co-Rapporteur of the EU AI Act and Chair of the Delegation with the U.S. As co-architect of the AI Act and a leading figure in EU–U.S. digital relations, Benifei discussed avenues for enhancing academic involvement in global governance. ADAPT’s emerging partnership with Pitt Cyber at the University of Pittsburgh was presented as a model for transatlantic collaboration on trustworthy AI by Professor David Hickton, founding director of the Institute. The delegation discussed opportunities for Irish research to feed into broader EU-U.S. dialogues and explored opportunities for collaboration in Ireland later this year.
Professor David Hickton, MEP Brando Benefei, Olivia Waters.
The team then met with MEP Michael McNamara, Co-Chair of the Joint IMCO-LIBE Working Group on the AI Act. The conversation explored the potential of academic centres to contribute to citizen engagement models, including citizen juries and public awareness initiatives. ADAPT shared its strengths in interdisciplinary, ethical AI research and its relevance for Ireland’s national role in AI Act implementation. McNamara’s strong advocacy for public health and social inclusion aligns closely with ADAPT’s mission for inclusive digital futures.
Professor David Hickton, MEP Michael McNamara, Olivia Waters
In a productive discussion with MEP Seán Kelly, the ADAPT team emphasised the importance of a nationally coordinated AI strategy that harnesses the strengths of regional hubs like the RDI Hub in Kerry, which play a critical role in nurturing innovation beyond metropolitan centres. Kelly, a long-standing supporter of digital transformation and balanced regional development, reinforced the need for inclusive research ecosystems and discussed how Ireland can serve as a scalable model for responsible AI adoption at both national and EU levels. Dr Jelena Radakovic, Professor David Hickton, MEP Sean Kelly, Olivia Waters
In the afternoon the team met with Lars Pederson, DG DEFIS at the European Defence Fund (EDF). With the EDF prioritising secure and explainable AI technologies, ADAPT outlined its work in language technologies, disinformation detection, and multimodal AI. Discussions focused on how academic actors could support ethical governance in dual-use scenarios, particularly around defence procurement simplification and civilian oversight.
Giovanni Tricco, Lars Pederson, Olivia Waters, Professor David Hickton
The newly formed AI Office also welcomed the team with Jeanne Christiansen Gozzer of DG CNECT exploring ADAPT’s capacity to contribute to regulatory sandboxes, SME toolkits, and national AI readiness efforts under the AI Act. Discussions included the potential for ADAPT to act as a feedback hub for real-world testing, supporting the Commission’s focus on deployment and monitoring.
The final meeting was with Amy Sheils, Ireland’s Cyber Security Attaché to the EU. The conversation focused on alignment between Ireland’s cybersecurity strategy and AI governance, exploring synergies between privacy-preserving technologies, data resilience, and the implementation of the AI Act. Sheils offered insight into Ireland’s contributions to EU digital policy and highlighted the importance of trusted research institutions like ADAPT in shaping secure, future-ready digital infrastructure.
As Europe prepares to operationalise the AI Act, the importance of strategic engagements with centres of excellence such as ADAPT highlight the importance of establishing channels between academic research, civic values, and regulatory policy. The meetings highlighted Ireland’s strengths in interdisciplinary AI research, ethical frameworks, and agile innovation which are all critical as Europe transitions from AI rulemaking to AI implementation.