What are TEFs?
AI Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs) are a major European initiative funded by the Digital Europe Programme to help innovators test and validate AI technologies in real-world environments. By bridging the gap between research and market deployment, TEFs foster trustworthy, human-centric AI aligned with EU values of safety, transparency, and ethical responsibility.
The four sectorial TEFs focus on strategic domains:
- agrifoodTEF, led by Fondazione Bruno Kessler, supports the agri-food sector in adopting sustainable AI-based solutions. As of September 2025, agrifoodTEF has signed 190 contracts, providing services that help farmers reduce chemical usage, improve yield accuracy, and optimise resources.
- AI-MATTERS, coordinated by CEA-Leti, focuses on industrial and manufacturing applications. Around 90% of its clients are SMEs operating in sectors such as robotics, textiles, aquaculture, and automotive manufacturing.
- TEF-Health, coordinated by Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, accelerates the trustworthy adoption of AI in healthcare and medical technologies. With more than 170 platform users and 340 services available, TEF-Health provides a wide range of services for clinical testing, ethical evaluation, and regulatory consulting.
- CitCom.AI, coordinated by imec, supports the deployment of AI solutions in smart cities and communities, with projects focused on mobility, sustainability, and public services. More than 60 initiatives have already benefited from its services.
Together, they offer over 500 services, from technical validation and performance testing to ethical evaluation and regulatory consulting, supporting SMEs and industry players across Europe bring safe innovation into the market.
Why TEFs Matter
AI is transforming every sector of our economy and society, but innovation must go hand in hand with responsibility. TEFs provide a controlled environment where companies can accelerate market readiness, reduce risks, and ensure compliance with EU standards. By doing so, they strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and technological sovereignty.
What Do TEFs Offer?
By engaging with TEFs, innovators gain:
- Access to cutting-edge testing and validation facilities
- Support for ethical and regulatory compliance
- Expertise tailored to sector-specific challenges
- Opportunities to scale AI solutions across Europe
From agriculture and manufacturing to healthcare and smart cities, TEFs are paving the way for safe, reliable AI adoption.
Who Can Benefit?
TEFs welcome a broad mix of actors across the EU AI ecosystem:
- AI providers of all sizes (startups, SMEs, large enterprises)
- Industry players seeking to validate AI solutions
- Research institutions and technology partners
- Public authorities and smart city planners
How to Get Involved?
Supporting this ecosystem, CoordinaTEF acts as the coordination backbone for the four sectorial TEFs, helping them amplify their visibility, streamline outreach, and strengthen collaboration across Europe’s AI landscape. It also curates and publishes TEF success stories, showcasing real examples of impact for SMEs and innovators and helping demonstrate the value of TEF services across Europe.
Explore TEF services and learn how they can support your AI journey: https://coordinatef.eu
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