St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences (SPU) is a dynamic institution based in Lower Austria, offering practice-oriented education to nearly 4,000 students across diverse disciplines such as Informatics & AI, Media, Digital Technologies, and Health. With a strong focus on applied research, SPU actively collaborates with national and international partners. The university’s research group on Artificial Intelligence & Data Engineering explores topics such as trustworthy and sustainable AI, MLOps, reinforcement learning, data governance, and privacy-aware machine learning. SPU is a founding partner of the E³UDRES² European University Alliance, helping shape smart and sustainable European regions through innovative education and research.
What is your organization’s role in the project? What unique contribution does it bring to the team?
SPU leads Work Package 5, which focuses on developing tools for AI system providers, buyers, and users, with a strong emphasis on legal compliance, energy efficiency, and ethical AI deployment. SPU also leads key tasks on ontology development for AI lifecycle modeling and data lineage integration into dataspace environments. These efforts ensure traceability, transparency, and trustworthiness of AI systems, aligning with the EU AI Act and other regulatory frameworks. With expertise in AI engineering, MLOps, semantic data technologies, and certification frameworks, SPU brings a unique interdisciplinary approach to the project that connects technical innovation with ethical and regulatory standards.
How do you think CERTAIN will contribute to the Artificial Intelligence landscape in Europe?
CERTAIN will play a pivotal role in shaping a responsible and compliant AI ecosystem in Europe. By translating regulatory requirements into actionable tools, frameworks, and certification procedures, the project helps AI stakeholders navigate the complex legal landscape while promoting transparency, trust, and innovation. Its emphasis on data traceability, privacy, and energy efficiency addresses key societal and environmental concerns, supporting the goals of the European Green Deal and the EU AI Act. CERTAIN also fosters cross-sector collaboration and builds a multidisciplinary community, paving the way for sustainable, high-quality AI systems that align with Europe’s values and ambitions.