Over the past decade, the European Union has built one of the world’s strongest artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystems, supported by leading research centres, highly skilled experts and targeted public investment. Despite this progress, a clear challenge remains: the real deployment of AI in business—especially among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)—is still lagging behind. The reasons are well known: limited resources, lack of in-house expertise, and uncertainty about benefits, risks and regulations, as also highlighted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Bridging this gap between technological potential and practical application is precisely the goal of the Apply AI strategy—the European answer to how AI can evolve from a “complex technology” into a practical business tool.
What is Apply AI?
Apply AI is a practice-oriented strategy aimed at accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence in the real economy. Unlike earlier policies focused mainly on research and development, this approach places businesses—particularly SMEs—at the centre as end users of technology.
The objective is clear: enable more European companies, including SMEs, to use AI in ways that are economically viable, legally secure and ethically responsible—without unnecessary risk or costly experimentation.
Artificial Intelligence as a Tool for Everyday Business
Within the Apply AI framework, artificial intelligence is not viewed as an abstract or autonomous system but as a set of software solutions that can:
- analyse data and processes,
- identify patterns,
- support managerial and operational decision-making,
- optimise costs and resources.
For most SMEs, the first steps in AI adoption are not complex scenarios but practical improvements in efficiency, planning and control within existing business processes.
Why the Focus on SMEs?
SMEs account for more than 99% of all enterprises in the EU and form the backbone of the European economy. At the same time, they face the greatest barriers to AI adoption—limited financing, lack of expertise, and uncertainty about the regulatory framework.
Apply AI addresses these challenges by building a supportive ecosystem that combines technology, training and real-world testing environments.
The Role of European Digital Innovation Hubs
A key element in implementing Apply AI is the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs)—regional centres that help businesses move from initial interest in AI to informed decisions about deployment.
Through the “test before invest” approach, companies can evaluate whether a specific AI solution works in their real operational context before taking financial or technological risks.
Trust, Regulation and Human-Centric AI
Apply AI is closely linked to the European model of human-centric artificial intelligence, which emphasises transparency, human oversight and the protection of fundamental rights. This approach is reflected in the AI Act, which introduces clear and predictable rules based on the risk level of AI systems.
For businesses, this means greater certainty, trust and clarity when implementing AI solutions.
The Next Step: From Automation to Smarter Systems
As digital maturity increases, Apply AI encourages a gradual transition from basic automation to more advanced solutions, including agentic AI—intelligent systems capable of understanding goals, planning sequences of actions, executing them and optimising processes in complex business environments, while maintaining human oversight.
These technologies are expected to play a key role in industry, services and addressing labour shortages.
Apply AI in Bulgaria: Practical Support for Businesses
Automotive & Mobility EDIH Bulgaria supports the implementation of Apply AI in Bulgaria by helping companies in the automotive and manufacturing sectors move through the entire journey—from initial awareness and digital and AI maturity assessment to pilot projects, training, and access to European networks and funding opportunities.
For Bulgarian SMEs, Apply AI is not an abstract European strategy but a practical roadmap for gradually, safely and sustainably integrating artificial intelligence into daily operations and strategic planning.
Contact us to learn how we can help you turn AI into a practical tool for your business.
