RDI Hub featured in France 24 report: Europe's fight to stay in the AI race

The RDI Hub has been selected as a featured case study in a recent France 24 international report examining Europe’s fight to stay competitive in the global AI race.

The segment places County Kerry firmly on the map as part of Europe’s evolving AI strategy, highlighting the role regional innovation hubs can play in scaling talent, enabling adoption, and supporting businesses through rapid technological change.

A regional response to a global challenge

The report opens with a powerful contrast: an AI-generated rural landscape imagined by machines, followed immediately by the reality of how AI strategy is being actively implemented on the ground in places like Kerry.

At the centre of that effort is the RDI Hub.

As part-funded initiatives supported by the EU, the Hub is showcased as a pioneer in AI upskilling and business adoption, with a clear mission: to ensure people and companies outside major urban centres are not left behind.

Over the past five years, the Hub has reached more than 14,500 people through its programmes. This work aligns directly with Ireland’s national ambition to upskill one million people in response to AI-driven disruption.

Alongside this, the Hub is also delivering targeted support for Irish businesses through the EU and Enterprise Ireland-funded AI Navigator programme, helping SMEs move from early awareness of AI to more structured, business-led adoption.

Moving beyond hype to real adoption

A key theme in the France 24 report is the shift from experimentation to implementation.

Where AI was once the domain of research and early-stage prototypes, the focus has now moved decisively to adoption at scale.

At the RDI Hub, this is happening in practical, hands-on ways. Programmes such as the Gen AI Masterclasses are equipping professionals with the ability to use tools like ChatGPT and Gemini in their day-to-day work.

At the same time, initiatives like AI Navigator are supporting SMEs to identify where AI can deliver real value, build internal capability, and take practical steps towards integration.

The report captures this shift clearly: AI systems are no longer viewed simply as chatbots, but as tools that can act more like team members: supporting workflows, automating repetitive tasks, and enabling new kinds of productivity.

This is not theoretical. It is already changing how people work.

Enabling people to stay, grow and build locally

One of the most important insights highlighted in the segment is the role of regional hubs in supporting balanced economic development.

The RDI Hub’s approach is grounded in a clear principle:
innovation should not require relocation.

By providing infrastructure, advisory services, and a collaborative environment, the Hub enables individuals and companies to:

• Build new businesses locally

• Sustain and evolve existing roles

• Access opportunities without leaving the region

Programmes like AI Navigator play a key role here, ensuring that SMEs, which make up the backbone of the Irish economy, are equipped to adapt, compete and grow within their own regions, while still connecting into wider national and European systems.

As highlighted in the report, this is ultimately about giving people the opportunity to stay, while still participating in the global digital economy.