Description
What is the role of DIH - Digital Innovation Hubs - in innovation and digital transformation? This was one of the questions on the debate table during Madeira Digital Transformation Week which, from 20 to 28 June, brought academics, policy makers, entrepreneurs and researchers to Funchal. The event proved to be a unique opportunity to debate projects, lines of research and initiatives to meet the challenges of today's society.
Pedro Rocha, coordinator of PRODUTECH DIH, presented the project and emphasised its main mission: "to promote the digitalisation of the manufacturing industry by targeting production technologies, leveraging their role in the digital transformation of industry".
In a panel discussion on "Empowering innovation: Focus on DIH", moderated by Ruben Costa, researcher at UNINOVA, Pedro Rocha joined Vasco Bernardo Teles, from EDIH ATTRAC; Gabor Vicze - AI EDIH Hungary; Steve Bageritz - EDIH AICS; Edin Skaljic, founder of FabLab B&H, founder of the Digital Innovation Hub - Digital Storm; Alissa Zaccaria, EU project coordinator at Intellimech - Digital Innovation Hub Lombardia and Antonio Collado - CIDIHUB EDIH.
"These initiatives are essential for people to realise the real impact that projects like PRODUTECH DIH have and the advantages it can bring to companies, whether in terms of the digital transition, improving production capacities, funding opportunities, etc.", said Pedro Rocha.
As far as PRODUTECH DIH is concerned, the project coordinator highlighted the diversity and speciality of the 19 partners. "The undeniable experience that the partners have in the different technological fields, whether in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Augmented Reality, Additive Manufacturing or Advanced Materials, is a totally differentiating factor that provides the companies associated with it a guarantee of quality, seriousness and sustainability for their businesses".
During MDT Week, PRODUTECH DIH was also highlighted in a workshop with presentations from EDIHs that focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). "EDIHs Meet the PO - Overcoming Challenges: Lessons Learned from EDIHs Across Europe" was organised by Helena Rodrigues, Project Officer at the European Commission, and served to share approaches, information and good practices with the aim of improving engagement with SMEs.
"I think it became clear that each of the EDIHs has its own form of targeted intervention and has tried to provide the best possible response to the challenges of the sectors", said Pedro Rocha, pointing out that in the case of PRODUTECH DIH, "sharing activities, training, the way we try to find companies that can take advantage of the technology, the projects in which we get involved and which we guarantee has been very enriching".
