Horizon Europe RAISE: €26.5 million for AI-driven laboratories, deadline 2 February 2027

On 13 October 2026 the European Commission opens Horizon Europe call HORIZON-RAISE-2027-01 ("AI in Science"), a pilot of the RAISE (Resource for AI Science in Europe) initiative. The call funds laboratories that use artificial intelligence to plan, run and analyse experiments on their own. There is €26.5 million for materials science and a further €3 million for food. Proposals are submitted by 2 February 2027, in a single stage. Universities, research institutes and deep-tech companies from Romania can take part in European consortia.

In brief

• Programme: Horizon Europe – call HORIZON-RAISE-2027-01 "AI in Science" (the RAISE pilot)
• Authority: European Commission, via the Funding & Tenders portal
• Beneficiaries: consortia with laboratories that already have an advanced level of automation and digitalisation, together with AI specialists. Country eligibility follows Annex B of the Horizon Europe General Annexes
• Total budget: €26.5 million for materials science (topic 01-01, 3 grants), €3 million for food (topic 01-02, 1 grant) and €1 million for a coordination and support action (CSA, 1 grant)
• Value per project: around €9 million for materials and €3 million for food
• Submission period: 13 October 2026 – 2 February 2027, in a single stage
• Status: announced. The opening has been postponed to 13 October 2026, according to the update of 2 October

What does the call fund?

The Commission is seeking safe and trustworthy closed-loop experimentation systems. In these systems, laboratory automation is linked to AI-assisted decisions and a robust data infrastructure. Projects do not build laboratories from scratch. They develop the "intelligence layer" that allows existing instruments to plan, run and analyse experiments semi-autonomously or fully autonomously.

The research directions mentioned in the topic sheet are:

• autonomous AI systems and assistive robots for the laboratory;
• networked, large-scale experimentation across several laboratories;
• real-time data processing and analysis, interoperability standards;
• human–machine interfaces and predictive maintenance;
• AI modules that reduce the consumption of energy, reagents and materials.

The expected result is a working demonstrator (prototype) showing the integration of automation with AI-based decision-making. In addition, projects must increase scientific reproducibility and productivity and produce good practices for laboratory automation.

What areas do the two topics cover?

Topic 01-01, materials science (€26.5 million): the sheet says it covers "any aspect of materials science". As non-exhaustive examples, it gives batteries, photovoltaics, carbon capture and storage, water purification, soil remediation, drug discovery and sustainable textile materials.

Topic 01-02, food (€3 million): it follows the same autonomous-laboratory logic. The impact areas are alternative proteins, precision fermentation, biomaterials and food ingredients.

Which costs are accepted?

The call prioritises software development. However, the sheet specifies that it does not rule out the justified purchase of complementary equipment, if needed for the project's research targets. Projects must include a complete system for managing experimental data (collection, storage, processing and sharing) and security "by design". A human must oversee the system, for accuracy, safety and ethical compliance.

The sheet explicitly requires close interdisciplinary collaboration between computer science and AI specialists and researchers in the applied field.

How and by when do you apply?

Applications are submitted electronically through the Commission's Funding & Tenders portal, in a single stage. Submission opens on 13 October 2026 and the deadline is 2 February 2027, for both topics. The exact closing time appears in the portal. The eligibility conditions, financial and operational capacity and evaluation criteria are those in the general annexes of the Horizon Europe work programme (Annexes A–G).

The materials topic averages around €9 million per project. For this reason, proposals will come from large European consortia with laboratories that are already automated.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: the call is not suitable for a company that is only starting to use AI. It targets organisations that already have automated laboratories or advanced skills in AI applied to research. For partners from Romania we see three realistic roles:

• Institutes and universities with materials laboratories (batteries, photovoltaics, chemistry, environment): partners that bring the scientific field and the testing infrastructure;
• Deep-tech and AI companies: developers of the software layer (experiment planning, data analysis, interoperability);
• Agri-food and biotechnology companies, for the food topic, if they carry out research on fermentation or ingredients.

With a February deadline, you have a few useful weeks now to join a consortium. Prepare a short skills profile, a list of the equipment and datasets available, plus examples of previous projects. A common pitfall: proposals focused on buying equipment. The call puts software first, and equipment is accepted only if it is complementary and justified. You can quickly find out whether your organisation also fits other funding with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can organisations from Romania take part in the RAISE 2027 call?

Yes. Country eligibility follows Annex B of the Horizon Europe General Annexes, and Romania, as an EU Member State, is eligible. In practice, participation takes place within a European consortium, under the programme's standard rules.

How much does a project receive?

Under the materials science topic, the €26.5 million budget is divided, indicatively, into three grants of around €9 million each. Under the food topic, a single grant of €3 million is awarded.

Can laboratory equipment be bought with the grant?

Yes, but to a limited extent. The call prioritises software development. Complementary equipment can be bought only if it is justified and necessary for the research targets.

When does submission open and when does it close?

The opening has been postponed to 13 October 2026. The deadline for both topics is 2 February 2027, and submission is in a single stage.

Do I already need an automated laboratory?

The topic sheet targets laboratories with an already advanced level of automation and digitalisation. The project adds the AI layer that makes experiments autonomous. A partner without such infrastructure can contribute expertise in AI or in the scientific field.

Official sources

• HORIZON-RAISE-2027-01-01 – Automated Scientific Discovery – Materials Science (RAISE pilot), Funding & Tenders portal
• HORIZON-RAISE-2027-01-02 – Automated Scientific Discovery – Food (RAISE pilot), Funding & Tenders portal

Information checked on 12 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.