Completion of the initial Network of European Digital Innovation Hubs

Expected Outcome

The new EDIHs will support the digital transformation of SMEs, mid-caps, and public sector organizations within its geographical area and area of expertise, while also aiming to extend its impact beyond its immediate region. An EDIH can select to focus on specific group(s) of clients (e.g. mainly SMEs or mainly public sector).

The performance of the hub will be evaluated based on their key performance indicators (KPIs); proposals should define their indicators as well as the targets related to each of them:

• Number of entities which have used the European Digital Innovation Hubs’ services, by user category (businesses of different sizes, public sector entities, etc.), sector, location, by technology and type of service received. Specific sub-indicators must be proposed when the services are related to develop and uptake AI solutions, and will include a description of which European AI Innovation Infrastructures have been used (such as the AI-on-Demand platform) or referred to (such as the AI Factories).
• Number of entity referral to European AI Innovation Infrastructures
• For access to finance: amount of additional investments successfully triggered (e.g. through venture capital, bank loan, etc.).
• Number of collaborations foreseen with other EDIHs and stakeholders outside the region at EU level, and description of jointly shared infrastructures / joint investments with other EDIHs.

A set of additional impact indicators will be collected and analysed with the support of the Digital Transformation Accelerator:

• Increase in digital maturity of organizations that have used the services of the EDIH network. Digital maturity will be defined based on a questionnaire assessing the categories of digital strategy and readiness, intelligence and automation, data and connectedness, sustainable and human-centric digitalisation. EDIHs will administer the questionnaire at the start of the engagement with a client, and later after having delivered services, and report without delay the results to the DTA repository.
• Increase in number of companies benefiting from the use of European AI technology.

Cross-border trans-national hubs are possible with several countries jointly proposing and co-funding cross-border trans-national hubs, serving neighbouring regions in different countries, tackling shared challenges identified in the border regions and exploiting the untapped growth potential in border areas. In this case, only the share of the funding of each country involved in the cross-border trans-national will be considered for the total amount of funding for that country.

Objective

The objective is to complete the existing network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) with entities from countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme that have not yet participated in any previous EDIH call. These entities will provide the complete set of services of an EDIH, including the necessary infrastructure, focusing primarily on a specific geographical area and covering the digital transformation needs of the local SMEs, mid-caps and/or public sector organisations with a reinforced AI focus for EDIH operations.

The completion of the EDIHs network will be pivotal in supporting the widespread deployment and uptake of European AI technologies, solutions and tool, while also promoting the adoption of other crucial digital technologies, all in alignment with EU values and a human-centric approach.

Furthermore, the network will harness the potential of green digital technologies, contributing to Europe’s collective climate and environmental goals. This approach will not only enhance the resilience of European industry but also strengthen its strategic autonomy. With an enhanced presence in countries associated with Digital Europe, the EDIH network will help bridge technology gaps, and support competitiveness and economic convergence.

EDIHs will collaborate with EU AI Innovation infrastructures, serving as central hubs for companies and the public sector. They will ensure a flexible and seamless digital journey, referring stakeholders to relevant services provided by these AI innovation infrastructures when appropriate. However, this collaboration does NOT mean that EDIHs need to integrate a representative of each EU AI infrastructures in their own consortium. It means that EDIHs must map out these infrastructures, establish contacts with them and help their customers towards benefiting from available services within a structured client journey. These collaborations will not only accelerate the deployment of AI technologies but also ensure their effective and ethical application. EDIHs will play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between AI research and real-world applications, driving economic growth and improving public services across Europe.

The EDIHs will act as a multiplier and widely promote and facilitate the use of all the digital capacities built up under the different specific objectives of the Digital Europe Programme, including the effective use of key digital standards. Where possible, EDIHs should leverage AI solutions from European start-ups and SMEs, as well as those provided and stemming from EU-funded projects, including the AI-on-Demand Platform.

Highlighting the vital importance to strengthen the value chains of critical digital technologies, the EDIHs should closely collaborate with AI Factories and High-Performance Computing competence centres. Where relevant, EDIHs will facilitate access for their customers to the EuroHPC AI-optimised supercomputers. They will also help SMEs fine-tune available AI solutions to their business needs and use cases by providing access to AI training when necessary.

Duplication of actions between EDIHs and other AI innovation infrastructures should be avoided. Therefore, working arrangements will be agreed among them, where the focus of the EDIHs will be on their role as multiplier, extending their geographical reach in the EU and the associated countries. Proposals will describe the planned delivery of AI services and referral mechanisms.

Scope

Each new EDIH will provide services based on a specific focus/expertise, which will support the local private and public sector with their digital transformation and the integration of AI technologies. This specialisation can be strengthened over time and should make use of existing local competencies in this area.

The EDIH network is dedicated to promoting and facilitating the digital transformation of SMEs and public services through four types of services:

• Test before invest: providing access to technical expertise and experimentation, in particular to AI-related services.
• Training and skill development: offering training sessions to SMEs and public services for upskilling and reskilling of the workforce.
• Support to identify and get access to potential financing sources to support digital transformation.
• Foster an innovation ecosystem and networking opportunities, including building links to AI factories and TEFs where relevant for associated countries.

Each EDIH is expected to provide all four types of services. They can however have different weights in the overall services portfolio. The services will be provided on an open, transparent and non-discriminatory basis and will be targeted mainly to (1) SMEs and midcaps and/or (2) public sector organisations conducting non-economic activities.

Each EDIH will 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.

The EDIHs will also serve as contact point for the AI innovation infrastructures as described above, notably the AI factories, the AI-on-demand platform and TEFs. They will provide a first-line AI help desk for businesses and public sector organisations, offering basic information on compliance with the AI Act and relevant sources for further guidance. This will help ensure the broad adoption of strategic technologies, supporting the development of an AI continent.

Each EDIH will make available the relevant experimentation facilities and demonstrators related to its specialisation. SMEs, mid-caps and the public sector will be able to test the technologies proposed, including where relevant their environmental impact, and the feasibility of applying these technologies to their business before investing in them Likewise, EDIHs will leverage green digital technologies to advance Europe’s collective climate and environmental goals.

EDIHs will also provide access to finance services, including information on and facilitation of access to public and private funding sources, as well as connections to public and private investors.

The EDIHs will actively network with other hubs, share best practices and specialist knowledge, connect companies within their value chain, and seek synergies with innovators and early adopters who test solutions in novel experiments. These efforts will foster the adoption of digital technologies, particularly AI, in work and business environments in a more human-centric manner. Additionally, EDIHs will serve as brokers between public administration and companies providing e-government technologies.

In all the networking activities, EDIHs will be supported by the Digital Transformation Accelerator (DTA). Therefore, it is compulsory that EDIHs participate actively in the relevant support activities of the DTA, such as matchmaking, training and capacity building events.

The DTA, in cooperation with the Commission, will also host tools such as the Digital Maturity Assessment Tool and will centralise the overall Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of the network. As a result, each EDIH must report the necessary information to the DTA. While EDIHs are encouraged to make use of the digital tools provided, they are also free to use their own tools. However, interoperability with the EDIH network tools is a requirement, to ensure a seamless experience for users.

DTA will organize events and activities for the network of EDIH, to share information and experiences, train, build cohesion. EDIHs should foresee active participation in those events and activities.

The EDIHs should closely collaborate with the AI Factories as well as with the High-Performance Computing competence centres, the Cybersecurity centres, the AI-on-demand platform, AI Testing and Experimentation Facilities and other EDIHs seeking complementarities in view of supporting companies and public sector organisations with their digital transformation.

Where relevant, the EDIHs will facilitate access for their customers to the EuroHPC AI-optimised supercomputers. They will also help SMEs fine-tune available AI solutions to their business needs and use cases by providing, wherever needed, also access to AI training.

EDIHs will maintain structured long-term relationships with the relevant local actors like regional authorities, industrial clusters, SME associations, business development agencies, incubators, accelerators, chambers of commerce, and partners of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) and Startup Europe by offering joint investor-related events, organising common trainings, workshops or info days, directing SMEs from EEN to EDIHs and from EDIHs to EEN as needed. It is expected that local actors planning mutual support with a local EDIH will sign a Memorandum of Understanding for a proper governance of their collaboration.

Finally, EDIHs will serve as an interface for 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.

EDIHs will design their operations to ensure sustainability beyond the implementation phase. They will indicate how they plan to build local capacity, foster community ownership, and integrate the initiative into their ecosystems.

The total public funding for this action is 100% of eligible costs (50% coming from the Digital Europe Programme and up to 50% coming from the Member States). In line with Appendix 6 on State Aid, the countries must ensure that State aid is granted in line with the applicable State aid rules, such as de minimis or GBER (ensuring compliance with GBER compatibility, including on aid intensities and notification thresholds set out in Article 4 GBER) or whatever the state aid rules stipulate in the associated country.