Digital Innovation Hub as facilitator for the green and digital transition of industrial SMEs: an overview of the main experiences

EESC opinion: Digital Innovation Hub as facilitator for the green and digital transition of industrial SMEs: an overview of the main experiences

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Enabling green and digital SMEs through Digital Innovation Hubs

Achieving the digital transition is a fundamental challenge for the European Union in order to maintain a high level of business competitiveness. Winning this challenge is also decisive for global competition, for what could be defined as the maintenance of "digital sovereignty".

The digital strategy and the revision of the industrial policy focus on the commitment of the Industry 4.0 programs, and will soon see the launch of the Industry 5.0 program, however this challenge can only be won if the entire European business system is accompanied towards transition, especially SMEs, which represent over 90 % of European enterprises.

In this context, Digital Innovation Hubs have played and are playing a fundamental role; however, this should be further implemented and supported.

With this Opinion, we intend to recommend a survey of the best practices implemented in Member States in order to promote greater dissemination. It also identifies the difficulties encountered by the territories that appear further behind in the transfer of technology to SMEs.