Digital Innovation Hubs: Mainstreaming Digital Innovation Across All Sectors

Publication article | | Roundtable on Digitising European Industry Working Group 1

DEI Working Group 1 focuses on Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) as a means of supporting businesses, and notably SMEs and non-tech industry, in their digital transformation under the Digitising European Industry (DEI) initiative. It brings together stakeholders with interests in running and operating Digital Innovation Hubs as well as potential beneficiaries in industry. This is the first report from their activities providing advice on how to organise DIHs, their activities and networking.

Abstract

DEI Working Group 1 focuses on Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) as a means of supporting businesses, and notably SMEs and non-tech industry, in their digital transformation under the Digitising European Industry (DEI) initiative. It brings together stakeholders with interests in running and operating Digital Innovation Hubs as well as potential beneficiaries in industry.
To date, the WG1 has held two meetings in Brussels, together with a series of phone conferences. A further meeting was organised within the context of the DEI Stakeholder Forum in Essen. The discussion at these workshops has focused on four key issues:
- What are the needs of industry with respect to digital transformation?
- What are the characteristics of a Digital Innovation Hub?
- How to develop a network of Digital Innovation Hubs in Europe that reflects these needs?
- Which investments are necessary to successfully build the network of DIHs?
The WG1 meetings have also showcased a number of ongoing initiatives and projects at EU and national level and facilitated networking between practitioners ‘on the ground’.
The DEI Strategy aims to ensure that any business in Europe should have access to a Digital Innovation Hub at ‘a working distance’ (i.e. within a form and location convenient for their day-to-day business). Hubs should also play a key role in assessing skills needs and in skills delivery, and foster synergies between digital and other key enabling technologies.

The findings of these activites hav ebeen gathered in the Roundtable on Digitising European Industry Working Group 1 report.

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