xTEF: TEFs full scale operation accelerates the AI and robotics uptake in Europe

Join Us at the TEF Full-Scale Operation Milestone Event in Milan!

The acceleration of AI and robotics uptake in Europe continues! Hosted by agrifoodTEF, this pivotal event in Milan will mark the half-project execution milestone of the four Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs) launched by the European Commission in 2023.

Join us at the Aula De Carli (Politecnico Milano) & MADE Competence Centre in Via Giovanni Durando, 10, 20158 Milan, Italy, for this important get-together of all TEFs.

What to Expect:

• A milestone event showcasing the impact of agrifoodTEF, AI-Matters, TEF-Health, CitCom.AI and CoordinaTEF
• Real-world validation of AI and robotics solutions for key sectors
• Valuable networking with EU policymakers, investors, and industry leaders
• A dedicated exhibition of TEF services for SMEs and Startups (Oct 1 full day & Oct 2 until noon)

This third milestone event, following the Copenhagen launch (2023) and Berlin showcase (2024), demonstrates the growing value of the TEFs in driving Europe’s AI leadership.

Who can attend the event?

We are especially inviting SMEs and Startups to discover how TEFs can support their AI and robotics deployment efforts under real conditions. With support from the European Commission AI Office, Member States (including MIMIT for Italy), and key ecosystem stakeholders, this event will shape a future of safe, responsible, and impactful AI in Europe.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of Europe’s AI and Robotics transformation!

1 October 2025

A dynamic conference (Oct 1, 9:00–16:00) featuring:

• TEFs within the broader EU AI Strategy
• Validation needs of sectorial AI/robotics solutions
• Insights from accelerators, investment funds & industrial use cases
• Contributions from public sector institutions and Member States
• Integration pathways with AI Factories, Data Spaces & EDIHs

Agenda

• 8:30-8:55 Registration participants

• 9:00-9:10 Start of the conference and institutional welcome

  • Marco Taisch, President of MADE Competence Centre and Full Professor - Politecnico Milano;

  • Alessandro Cimatti, Director of the Centre for Digital Industry - Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK);

  • Franziska Giffey, Mayor of Berlin and Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises (pre-recorded message);

• 9:10-9:30 Introduction to European AI Office activities

  • Lucilla Sioli, Director - EU AI Office (from remote)

• 9:30-10:30 Presentation of Success Stories from 4 TEFs Coordinators and CoordinaTEF Intro

  • David Brunelleschi, Associate Partner at Intellera Consulting and Project Coordinator at CoordinaTEF;

• 10:30 -11:00 Coffee Break

• 11:00-11:45 “TEF-Multiplicators” on stage - Part I: Session on private domain’s interest for TEFs, introducing the perspective from investments funds, accelerators, big companies; introducing the market for AI and Robotics validation services.

  Moderator: 

  • Francesco Matteucci, Senior Advisor on Innovation - Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK);

  Speakers:

  • Sebastiano Toffaletti, Secretary General - European DIGITAL SME Alliance; 

  • Guus Keder, Founder - Bondo Foundation;

  • Nuno Serra, Executive Director - Food4Sustainability CoLAB;

  • Federico Menna, CEO - EIT Digital;

• 11:45-12:30 “TEF-Multiplicators” on stage - Part II: Session on public domain’s interest for TEFs, introducing the perspective from co-funding agencies from EU Member States, the rationale for supporting testing and validation of AI and Robotics solutions in agrifood, health, manufacturing and smart cities.

  Moderator:

  • Raffaele Giaffreda, agrifoodTEF Coordinator - Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK);

  Speakers:

  • Yohann Ralle, French National Coordinator of AI projects - French Ministry of Economy;

  • Pierre Gaillard, DeepGreen coordinator - CEA;

  • Federica Zanca, EIC Programme Manager for Medical Imaging and AI in Healthcare - EISMEA;

  • Matteo Risi, Director Osservatorio Smart City - Politecnico Milano;

• 12:30-13:30 Lunch Break

• 13:30-14:45 Other pieces of the EU AI Continent puzzle: Dataspaces, AI Factories, EDIHs, EiC: Presentations from leading European initiatives of instruments that are synergic with TEFs that contribute to the AI Continent Action Plan and more in general to innovation in Europe.

  Moderator:

  • Gian Mario Maggio, Chief Strategy Officer for European Affairs - Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK);

  Speakers:

  • Gaspard Demur, Deputy Head of Unit - European Commission - EU AI Office;

  • Hedy Karray, Programme Manager for Artificial Intelligence - EISMEA;

  • Jurgen Vangeyte, Scientific Director Agricultural Engineering - ILVO;

  • Lutz J. Voelker, PMO member of DeployAI Project and Founder & Managing Partner - Aspect Partners;

  • Petra Dalunde, Co-Director Swedish AI Factory Mimer - Research Institutes of Sweden RISE;

  • Philip Piatkiewicz, Secretary General - Adra;

• 14:45-15:50 – “Airtime” to TEF Customers: detailed success stories of how Testing and Experimentation Facilities have been used during the first half of projects execution.

  • Luca Coviello, AI Agricultural Scientist - Enogis;

• 15:50 – CLOSE OF EVENT (transfer to exhibition space and coffee break at MADE)

After the event, from 16.00 to 18.00 there will be open access to the TEF exhibition space organised at nearby MADE Competence Centre, where some of the 4 TEFs results and success stories will be showcased.

Register here for the first day of the xTEF Event 

2 October 2025

The second day of the xTEF event is closed to the public and exclusively reserved for TEF participants only.

Parallel Sessions
TEF project members  will have the opportunity to engage in four thematic parallel sessions, each designed to foster interactive discussion and knowledge exchange.

• The sessions will run in two rounds:
   
  • Round 1: 09:00 – 10:30
     
  • Round 2: 11:00 – 12:30 (following a coffee break)
     

Each parallel session will be offered twice, giving all participants the chance to attend at least one session over the course of the morning.

Assignments will be coordinated in advance to ensure balanced participation across the sessions.

Session I – Network the Networks

Strengthening TEF visibility and stakeholder engagement by sharing best practices, exploring synergies with EU-level initiatives, and identifying tools to enhance TEF recognition at the EU level.

Session II – From Vision to Value: Branding & Go-to-Market for TEFs

Advancing TEF resource sharing and capacity building through service catalogues, go-to-market strategies, and integration of TEF success stories into European AI platforms.

Session III – Navigating Compliance: Shaping TEFs Regulatory Readiness

Focusing on regulatory alignment, with discussions on AI Act challenges, potential cross-TEF compliance frameworks, and collaboration with AI regulatory sandboxes.

Session IV – Empowering TEFs: Unlocking Co-Funding Pathways for Innovation

Exploring strategies to improve TEFs’ access to national and EU co-funding schemes by identifying gaps, barriers, and common needs to support innovation.