Have you heard of the acronym EDIH?

The European Digital Innovation Hubs are run by consortia of companies, associations and universities and their mission is to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), start-ups, as well as government and public administration institutions to test (including through the “test before invest” option), deploy and exploit digital solutions and innovations as much as possible.They provide access to both technical and professional knowledge and support companies in improving business or production processes, products or services using digital technologies. They ensure innovation services as well as financial advice, training and skills development that are key to successful digital transformation.

What is digital transformation?

The term is used to describe the process by which companies integrate digital technologies into all their activities to better respond to changing markets and customer needs. It uses innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, 5G technology, big data and analytics, blockchain and supercomputing to become the new engine of economic growth and competitiveness.

As the portfolio of digital transformation services offered is broad, their provision by hubs and use by companies must be tailored to the specific business area (e.g. finance, marketing, manufacturing, human resources, etc.) and consulted with experts from the selected hub. As the funding for EDIHs is from the budget of EU and Recovery and Resilience Plan, the provision of their services is FREE under the De Minimis scheme.*

We have 5 EDIHs in Slovakia:

1. HealthHub – Centre for Innovative Healthcare based in Bratislava
2. CASSOVIUM – based in Košice
3. EXPANDI 4.0 – based in Bratislava
4. HOPERO – based in Bratislava
5. SCDI – Slovak Centre for Digital Innovation – based in Bratislava

and in the following blogs we will introduce each of them more. 😊

Source: https://edihslovensko.sk/

* This is a form of state aid that is provided to small and medium-sized enterprises in various fields and sectors. The de minimis scheme is based on the assumption that the aid does not affect trade and competition in the European Union up to a certain level. It is regulated by Commission Regulation (EU) No 1407/2013 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU and de minimis aid. According to this Regulation, the maximum amount of de minimis aid to a single undertaking may not exceed EUR 200 000 over a period covering the current fiscal year and the two preceding fiscal years.