On 31 May–1 June, the first summit of the EDIH Network successfully united in Brussels more than 400 participants who share the goal of promoting digital transformation across Europe.

Supported by the Digital Transformation Accelerator (DTA), the event was a unique opportunity for over 200 digital innovation hubs from 30 countries across Europe to connect and share knowledge. EDIH representatives, decision-makers, and experts from the digital transformation community exchanged their experiences and best practices on how to best help SMEs achieve their digital goals.

Representatives from the network’s hubs delivered engaging presentations on innovative projects and demonstrated how their technologies are enhancing domestic businesses. Additionally, four working groups concentrated on specific topics with the aim of broadening the EDIH Network’s influence, both within various sectors and across borders. Participants also gained valuable insights into successful collaborations between hubs through well-attended panel discussions.

In addition to delivering cutting-edge technologies and boosting the capacities of SMEs and the public sector, it became evident during the summit that the network’s hubs are emerging as major players in regional innovation ecosystems. Italy, for instance, has allocated about EUR 33.5 million to co-finance the EDIHs. Ireland’s Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is spearheading the local EDIH programme through Enterprise Ireland with the objective of assisting more than 9,000 companies.

Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market, highlighted the EU digital-forward vision that the EDIH Network aims to uphold, stating that: ‘Together with EU Member States, we will work on digital policies, helping SMEs to improve technologies and advance the EU’s connectivity and secure digital infrastructures. These targets will help us achieve our objectives for a safer, sustainable, more competitive and efficient digital environment.’

The EDIH Network and the DTA team extend a warm ‘thank you!’ to the speakers and attendees who enriched the first summit with their expertise and active engagement. We look forward to the ventures that await us on the exciting journey towards digital transformation!

To access the presentation slides and video recordings of the sessions, please visit the designated space on our website. You can also browse through the agenda and view the complete list of speakers.

Source: https://european-digital-innovation-hubs.ec.europa.eu