DIHNET.EU

COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of digital technologies. Throughout the pandemic, businesses with low levels of digital maturity faced various hurdles in preserving their processes with suppliers, clients and employees. Regions with lower degrees of digitalisation confronted difficulties in continuing many of their socio-economic activities. Now, personal and business interaction through digital technology is the new normal and the ongoing digital transition has accelerated.

For SMEs, this transition is both a need and an opportunity. SMEs are able to successfully introduce new innovative ways of working, business models, and more innovative products and digital solutions that allow them to leverage their position in the market.

For that purpose, the European Commission promoted the creation of Digital Innovation Hubs (DIH) which are one-stop shops to help companies become more competitive through digital technologies. They help SMEs improve their business/production processes, products or services, by providing access to technical expertise and experimentation, so that SMEs can “test before invest”. They also provide innovation services, such as financing advice, training and skills development for a successful digital transformation.

• Which is the role of EU|BICs and other business support organisations (BSOs) within DIHs?
• What opportunities do the EU programmes in the field of DIHs offer for EU|BICs and other BSOs?
• How can EU|BICs and other BSOs broaden their service portfolio, including their training and networking activities by taking part in a DIHs?
• And how can EU|BICs and DIHs collaborate and work effectively together to make an impact at the local level throughout Europe?

Today, Europe’s innovation ecosystems are being tested by extreme circumstances. Standing with their member companies and their ecosystem actors, EU|BICs have been acting responsive, and are willing to lead with bold action on digitalisation, innovation and sustainability. In this context, deepening EBN community is more vital to our future than ever before.

The 2020 EBN Congress brings together all kinds of exceptional innovators to exchange ideas, foster co-learning, and understanding and on a wide range of subjects – to provoke forward-thinking on local/regional/EU strategies for boosting entrepreneurial innovation.

Join this year’s EBN Congress to connect, learn and discover regional deployment of innovation and entrepreneurship actions and how innovation ecosystem actors can play a greater role in the digital and sustainable twin-transition within their regions.