The initiative brings together 12 consortium partners coordinated by Bursa Uludağ University in Türkiye. It will connect higher education institutions, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and policymakers to strengthen research excellence while driving green and digital transitions.
Supporting higher education institutions
The project will establish institutional pilots in six “Widening” countries – EU member states and associated countries considered to have below-average performance in research and innovation: Türkiye, Latvia, Slovenia, Poland, Portugal and Greece. These pilots will support participating higher education institutions in modernising research management, adopting responsible and data-informed approaches, strengthening open science and data stewardship, and developing research assessment practices aligned with the principles of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA).
At the same time, 24 SMEs will participate in applied pilots exploring how AI-enabled digitalisation and circular business models can support innovation and competitiveness.
Connecting research excellence to real businesses
Dr Vlachopoulos said, “AI-CIRCLE brings together two transformations that are often discussed separately: the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence and the transition towards more circular and sustainable business models. What makes the project particularly interesting for RSM is the opportunity to connect research excellence directly with the realities faced by SMEs and innovation ecosystems across Europe.
“Our role will be strongly focused on ensuring that knowledge travels across countries and sectors, that future research agendas reflect real business needs, and that the evidence generated by the project reaches policymakers and European and international networks. Being selected from 284 proposals in a call in which only 16 projects received funding also demonstrates the strength of the consortium and the relevance of what AI-CIRCLE aims to achieve.”
Leading three strategic tasks
Under the leadership of Dr Vlachopoulos, RSM will contribute vast expertise in business model innovation and entrepreneurship, taking responsibility for three strategic tasks.
Firstly, RSM will lead cross-country knowledge-sharing activities, systematically comparing and exchanging results to develop an open body of best practices and lessons on AI-driven SME transformation.
Secondly, RSM will lead the co-development of business-driven research and innovation agendas. The consortium will use evidence from the project's business model and innovation pilots to identify common research priorities and areas where academic expertise can respond directly to business and market needs.
Finally, RSM will lead policy outreach and internationalisation, translating evidence from the pilots into policy briefs and stakeholder recommendations on issues such as AI-enabled research management, responsible research assessment, digital skills, SME digitalisation and the transition towards circular business models.
