Eurofunding

Digital Europe – Initial Network of European Digital Innovation Hubs – 2021

The Digital Europe 2021-2027 programme aims to support and accelerate the digital transformation of the European economy, industry and society, to bring its benefits to citizens, public administrations and businesses across the Union, and to improve the competitiveness of Europe in the global digital economy while contributing to bridging the digital divide across the Union and reinforcing the Union’s strategic autonomy, through holistic, cross-sectoral and cross-border support and a stronger Union contribution.

2022-02-22

240.93 million euro

Priorities and funded actions

Objectives

To select the initial Network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) from all candidate entities designated by Member States;
To upgrade these entities to provide the complete set of services of an EDIH, including the necessary infrastructure, in a specific geographical area, covering the needs of the local SMEs, small mid-caps and/or public sector organisations with respect to their digital transformation;
To network these EDIHs with each other and with other projects selected in Digital Europe Programme developing capacities in High Performance Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Advanced Digital Skills and accelerating the best use of technologies.

Priorities

Priority 1: Contribute to the digital transformation of local SMEs, small mid-caps and/or public sector organisations, in their geographical area and for the technologies of their competence;
Priority 2: Provide services such as testing before investing, training and skills development, support to find investments, networking and access to innovation ecosystems;
Priority 3: Contribute to building a network of EDIH, covering all regions in Europe, addressing the needs of the public and private sectors, including all economic sectors, offering a wide range of specialised digital transformation services.

Among financed actions

Provide services based on a specific focus/expertise, which will support the local private and public sector with their digital and green transformation;
Act as an access point to the European network of EDIHs, helping local companies and/or public actors to get support from other EDIHs in case the needed competences fall outside their competence, ensuring that every stakeholder gets the needed support wherever it is available in Europe. Reversely, each EDIH will support the companies and public actors from other regions and countries presented by other EDIHs that need their expertise;
Be active in networking with other hubs, sharing best practices and specialist knowledge, and in seeking synergies with innovators and early adopters – including artists, designers and other creatives that test solutions in novel experiments and can foster the adoption of digital technologies in working and business environments in a more human-friendly way. EDIHs will also play a brokering role between public administrations and companies providing e-government technologies;
Participate in a “Train the trainer” programme where the specialists of the digital capacities train the EDIHs on how to use the capacities, so that the EDIHs can help their stakeholders to make use of them;
Offer a seamless service with EEN and Startup Europe, e.g. by offering joint investor-related events, organising common trainings, workshops or info days, directing SME from EEN to EDIHs and from EDIHs to EEN as needed;
Act as interface with the European Commission to support the implementation of specific sectorial policies, SME policies and eGovernment policies. This will imply that EDIHs specialised in a specific sector could be consulted on policies related to their sector of competence, and could participate in specific actions, such as the New European Bauhaus initiative.

Additional information

This call for proposals is an open call for proposals.
Initial duration of the action: 36 months.

Eligibility

Be a legal entity;
Proposals must be submitted by: candidate European Digital innovation Hubs whose coordinators have been designated by Member States following the expression of interest described in the work programme (Chapter 1.1). A candidate EDIH can be composed of a consortium or a single legal entity.

Digital Europe – Initial Network of European Digital Innovation Hubs – 2021

Additional information

Priorities and funded actions

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