The third meeting of the 25 digital innovation centres, held in Gijón, provided an opportunity to learn about real cases of application of the latest technologies in companies
There is still credit available to provide SMEs with testing and experimentation services
A few days ago, we hosted the Third National Meeting of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) in Spain at our headquarters in Gijón. A meeting organised by AsDIH together with our colleagues from the Digital Innovation Hub of Galicia (DIHGIGAL) and attended by representatives from almost all the twenty-five national EDIH.
One of the objectives of this meeting was to advance in the coordination and unification of criteria for the provision of services to SMEs within the framework of the Support Programme for Digital Innovation Hubs (PADIH), a call of the PADIH Programme launched by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, financed by the European Union through the NextGenerationEU Funds in the framework of the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan. It is managed by the EOI Business School.
The European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) are one-stop shops that support businesses and public sector organisations to respond to digital challenges and become more competitive.
AsDIH as a one-stop shop for services for SMEs in Asturias
During the meeting, Iván Aitor Lucas, General Director of Innovation, Research, and Digital Transformation of the Government of the Principality of Asturias, encouraged the EDIH of Spain to continue to contribute the respective capabilities of each of the ecosystems to R&D&I as a country. As the director general emphasised, the ultimate goal of our work must be for Spanish companies to be at the forefront of technology in Europe.
Jaime Fernández, head of the New Knowledge, Transfer, and Innovation Area of the SEKUENS Agency, highlighted the importance of the one-stop shop of services for industrial SMEs that AsDIH represents.
As the EDIH network is an initiative of the European Union, it was essential to have the participation of a representative of the European Commission in our working meeting. Helena Rodrigues, PO, DG Connect of the European Commission, reviewed by videoconference the milestones achieved so far by the national EDIH and the timetable ahead to deliver the committed results.
It is critical to note that there is still credit available to continue to provide companies with testing and piloting services to assess the incorporation of the latest digital technologies into their production processes. Check out the services for this purpose offered under the PADIH programme.
This also includes collaboration between EDIH as another mechanism to facilitate the provision of services between companies in different autonomous communities.
Funding of services to SMEs through the Recovery and Resilience Plan
Spain’s digital innovation centres represent the main support for SMEs on their path towards digital transformation, with funding from the government through the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan.
Specifically, the budget approved for this purpose amounts to 37.5 million euros for the period 2021-2027, as Yolanda Alcalá, Deputy Director General for Entrepreneurship and SMEs of the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, recalled during her speech.
We also took advantage of the presence at the meeting of Victoria Sánchez, from the EOI, to take stock and resolve doubts about the PADIH Programme.
Exchange of best practices among EDIH in Spain
An essential part of our two working days, held in the AS5-HUB building in Gijón, was the speed dating, the meetings that serve to strengthen the synergies between the different members of the network in Spain.
In addition, we took advantage of this meeting of the EDIH network in Spain to exchange best practices related to the activation of demand and the ecosystem in each of the EDIH of the national territory:
- Lali Costa, from DIH4CAT (Catalonia), explained how they develop aspects such as tech meetings, mentoring or bootcamp in their hub.
- Susana Larrea, from the Basque Digital Innovation Hub (BDIH, Euskadi), explained the keys to the BDHI Konexio Programme, an initiative that promotes digital and sustainable innovation in Basque industry, facilitating access to the expert support, assets, and services offered by the BDIH.
- José Antonio Adame, from the DIH ANDALUCÍA AGROTECH (Andalusia), shared with the group the good practices implemented by this EDIH in training for the digital transformation of the agri-food sector in Andalusia.
- Also from Andalucía Agrotech, Ana Cabezas spoke about Conecta, a good practice that favours collaboration between companies searching for solving real challenges through innovative solutions.
In terms of networking and access to the innovation ecosystem, we learnt these two experiences:
- Eva María Blanco, representing the Tech4efficiency EDIH (Extremadura), told us about the strategy and methodologies developed by this DIH in this field.
- And Andrea Urrecho, representing IRIS EDIH (Navarra), closed the round of exchange of good practices by sharing her knowledge and experiences in terms of alliances and collaborations with other members of the network.
Success stories of EDIH in Spain
Another important part of the meeting was devoted to learning about success stories. These success stories are examples of the application of digital technologies within the Spanish EDIH network in the areas of customer journey (attraction and loyalty of companies), industrial and health technology services and collaboration with other EDIH.
Success stories in the area of customer journey (attraction and loyalty of companies):
- DIGIS3 (Castilla y León) attended the meeting to present its Agro-forestry / Industry Technology Service. María Flor Álvarez Taboada, from the University of León, told us about the case of a company that started by receiving a tailor-made training workshop, agreed to a proof of concept to carry out a forest inventory with a mobile laser scanner and ended up renting the scanner to use in their day-to-day business.
- And from DIHGIGAL (Galicia), in the field of demand loyalty, Josefina Alonso presented the case of a company in the textile sector to which a customised solution was applied to advance in its digital transformation strategy from a 360º approach to the costumer journey.
Success stories in terms of technological services in the industrial and health sector:
- David Marco Rusiñol, representing DIH4CAT, explained how they supported a company in the automotive sector in the testing and experimentation of simulation technologies using the finite element method (FEM) to apply them in the cold stamping manufacturing phase of steel rim discs for electric cars.
- Cristina Conejo, representing I4CAMhub (Castilla La Mancha), reviewed the results of the Digital AR Experience, an initiative that used augmented reality to allow customers of an awning and mobile roofing company to experience how the product would look once installed in their home or business.
How data science can save lives
- On behalf of INNDIH (Comunidad Valenciana), Óscar Valle presented a case of application of intelligent data analysis to improve a medical monitoring device for patients with mechanical ventilation. A clear example of how data science can help save lives.
- And María Díaz, from the Asturian company Bioquochem, told us how, through AsDIH (Asturias), IDONIAL Centro Tecnológico (one of the ten partners that constitute the Asturian DIH) helped them to develop a solution based on additive manufacturing to improve the usability and measurements of an electrochemical device manufactured by the company.
Success stories in the field of collaboration with other EDIHs:
- Belén Lanuza, representing DIHBU (a member of DIGIS3, Castilla y León), told us how, through the DIH, an SME in the industrial sector in this community began to collaborate with another Basque SME in the robotics development sector to meet a demand for exoskeletons.
- Ana Cabezas, representing ANDALUCÍA AGROTECH, revealed the results of an experience coordinated from this community to promote collaboration and creation of synergies between EDIH with a focus on supporting the digitisation of the agri-food sector.
Visit to CTIC Technology Centre, one of the ten AsDIH partners
The second and final day of the meeting ended with a visit to the facilities of CTIC (Fundación Centro Tecnológico de la Información y la Comunicación), another of AsDIH’s partners.
The General Manager of this centre, Pablo Coca, showed our colleagues the Prisma Space, a place open to collaborators and clients to meet and exchange ideas.
During the visit, the importance of seeking instruments that favour cooperation between centres was highlighted. In addition, emphasis was placed on the need to identify joint projects to work in multidisciplinary teams, thus promoting a digital ecosystem.
The next working meeting of the EDIH network in Spain will be held in Galicia, and will be organised by DIHGIGAL. There we will be able to continue taking steps forward on the path to place Spanish SMEs at the European digital forefront.