Industry and Research in Central and Eastern Europe Speak with One Voice on AI in Brussels. Jan Kavalírek Appointed as New Ambassador

The Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic (CICR), together with its Czech partner organisations—the Czech National AI Platform and the Association for Applied Research in IT (AAVIT)—as well as the AI Chamber, an association bringing together companies from Central and Eastern Europe, and with the support of the CEE Digital Coalition, today announced at a press conference at Kampus Hybernská the establishment of a new joint position of CEE Ambassador for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies. They appointed Jan Kavalírek, former Government Commissioner for Artificial Intelligence and Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, to the role. This is the first coordinated mandate for Central and Eastern Europe in the field of AI, embodied by a shared ambassador.

In his new role, Kavalírek will represent the participating organisations primarily towards European Union institutions and contribute to coordinating the region’s voice on key European legislative initiatives in AI and digital regulation.

“If the European Union is to become a leader in artificial intelligence as a technology, not only in its regulation, it must be far more ambitious. We need to invest more in research and development and consistently remove unnecessary bureaucracy that slows down the innovation potential of European companies. And it was us—the Czech Republic—who first proposed at EU level to remove unnecessary bureaucracy in the AI Act and secured support for it,” says Jan Kavalírek, Ambassador for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies, adding: “Central and Eastern Europe has a strong industrial base, top experts, and the ability to adopt innovation quickly, but it has long lacked a coordinated and systematic voice in Brussels. In this new role, I want to build on the work done so far and, together with partners, help strengthen Central and Eastern Europe’s influence in negotiations in Brussels so that our voice and experience are reflected in European decision-making. We will focus primarily on reducing bureaucracy and boosting competitiveness not only in the CEE region, but across the entire European Union.”

The newly established role responds to the rapid development of European digital legislation, particularly the AI Act, the Data Act, and forthcoming digital and AI omnibus packages. Their implementation will have a direct impact on companies, research organisations, and the public sector. The ambassadorial mandate is therefore based on positions jointly approved by the partners and is intended to serve as a practical tool for coordinating the region’s voice towards EU institutions.

The need for such a coordinated approach was also underscored at the press conference by Milena Jabůrková, Vice President of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic. According to her, it is essential that European regulation is shaped in close contact with real-world practice.

“Europe cannot be a technological leader if rules for artificial intelligence are made without those who actually put skin in the game. Officials and MEPs must engage in dialogue with companies, researchers, and academia who truly develop and deploy AI. The CEE Ambassador for AI and Emerging Technologies is a key instrument to ensure this dialogue systematically informs European decision-making,” said Milena Jabůrková.

Lukáš Kačena also highlighted the importance of coordination between industry, the innovation ecosystem, and policymakers. As part of the new initiative, he speaks on behalf of CNAIP—the Czech National AI Platform—which brings together representatives of industry, research, academia, and public administration.

“The real impact of European regulation will not be felt in strategic documents, but in the day-to-day work of research teams and innovators,” said Lukáš Kačena. “That is why it is important that European rules for artificial intelligence are created in dialogue with those who actually develop and deploy the technology.”

AAVIT is also joining the new initiative, bringing long-standing experience with the European digital agenda and applied research. As noted at the press conference, without systematic involvement of companies there is a risk that well-intentioned regulation will create new administrative barriers.

“Europe’s debate on artificial intelligence is at a turning point between regulation and the ability to actually use the technology to deliver the much-needed boost to competitiveness. Experience from recent years shows that without truly intensive engagement from companies, unnecessary administrative barriers emerge,” said Jaromír Hanzal, Director of AAVIT and a member of the DIGITALEUROPE Board.

AI Chamber expressed a similar view, seeing the new role as an opportunity to deepen regional cooperation and strengthen the CEE voice in Brussels. From AI Chamber’s perspective, it is crucial that voices from the region speak in unison.

“Aligning our positions is essential to prevent the adoption of policies that could stifle the innovation ecosystem or discourage small and medium-sized enterprises and startups—the very backbone of our economy—from developing their own cutting-edge solutions. To achieve this, we need a coordinated regional approach and shared positions that ensure our innovators have sufficient regulatory space for growth and global competitiveness,” added Tomasz Snażyk, CEO of AI Chamber.

The CEE Ambassador for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies will work closely with partner organisations and European platforms, including BusinessEurope, DIGITALEUROPE, and the CEE Digital Coalition. The role is designed to be expert-led, coordinating, and non-political, grounded in jointly defined priorities and open dialogue with European institutions and regional partners.