Lancaster Research Gains from Extension of European AI Centre of Excellence
The European Commission has extended the European Lighthouse on Secure and Safe AI (ELSA) for an additional 12 months, prolonging its work until the end of August 2026. ELSA is one of nine Networks of Excellence funded by the European Union, dedicated to advancing research in key technology areas like Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence.
ELSA's focus is foundational research on the security and safety of machine-learning-based AI, a critical area as AI systems become more embedded in society and industry. The extension reflects the growing demand for research into AI Foundation Models—large pre-trained neural networks that serve as a base for specialized AI applications—and aligns with recent EU regulations on AI.
Lancaster University’s Role in ELSA
Lancaster University has a leading role in ELSA through the School of Computing and Communication. Professor Plamen Angelov leads a three-year Work Package centered on human agency and a Grand Challenge focused on Human-in-the-loop decision-making. Lancaster’s contribution to the project has received close to €500,000 in funding during the initial phase.
Professor Angelov emphasized the significance of the extension: “The continuation of ELSA acknowledges the relevance and quality of the research by the consortium. Our focus on interpretable and explainable AI will now progress from research labs to practical innovation with support from a network of SMEs.”
ELSA’s Impact and Future Focus
Since its inception on 1 September 2022, ELSA has grown into a network of 26 founding members dedicated to safe and secure AI research. The network has produced over 220 research papers on topics including Bayesian networks, explainable AI, ethics, and AI governance. These have been presented at top conferences like CVPR, NeurIPS, ICML, and published in journals such as Nature. Lancaster researchers contributed 22 papers, with 15 appearing in leading venues.
The extension allows ELSA to continue strengthening Europe’s position in foundational AI research. It supports a diverse community of researchers, startups, and SMEs, enabling further innovation in safe AI technologies.
Professor Dr Mario Fritz, ELSA Coordinator at CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security, commented: “The European Commission’s extension of ELSA funding empowers us to continue advancing foundational AI research in Europe. We look forward to supporting mobility, startups, and SME collaborations through this network.”
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