Projects
DIGIPW4SME
Empowering underdeveloped marginal communities’ trough Digital Transformation of SME’s
Project Description
For the economic development of the Danube Region (DR) it is decisive that SME’s have a strong competitive position & innovation performance (Regional Analysis-DR 2014, p.203)Considering digital revolution & disruptive technologies, SME’s in every industry of the participating regions are under intense pressure to rethink their business models, customer value propositions & operations. Smaller enterprises from less developed areas of the DR (rural area and small cities from East European countries of the DR) suffer more from the digital revolution than companies from more developed areas (normally strong urban communities). There is a strong need in the participating regions to develop solutions together and qualify SME’s from these underdeveloped areas to fully use digital opportunities. The approach of this project aims to create the necessary framework to develop a new project that includes specific activities that respond to Priority 8 Competitiveness of Enterprises.
Project Scope
The geographical scope of the main project is transnational supporting a Knowledge Transfer from countries like Germany or Austria, Slovenia in order to identify strategies, policies, and tools that are meant to foster the effects of the EU policies in the following East European countries of the Danube program region: RO, BG, SLO, HU, HR.
Benefiting from competences and experiences of other countries in the Danube Region, like Slovenia, Germany, Austria but not limited to that can forge a transnational alliance at EU level that can propose a new project for the management of digital transformation in underdeveloped marginal communities like rural areas and small towns.
Results
The main project contributes to towards the achievement of the EUSDR PA8 addressing the considerably lag between top-performing regions in the Danube Region and the other regions and also the bigger lag existing in low performing regions between strong urban areas and less developed rural areas with the following results:
Result R1
Fostering cooperation of academia as a target group of DIGIPW4SME project and local authorities from above-targeted areas, in order to improve cooperation and knowledge exchange on smart specialization strategies that can offer to SME’s from identified area consistent development perspectives.
Result R2
Improve the framework conditions for SMEs in areas where competitive infrastructure is missing by supporting new cooperation that can lead to the construction of networks with specific focus should on rural areas, where competitive infrastructure for SME’s is often weakly developed or missing.
Result R3
Improve the competitiveness of rural areas and in particular of the agricultural sector by facilitating rural and women entrepreneurship, supporting innovation and cooperation trough digital transformation of SME’s main project will target.
Project duration 12 months
Start date: 01.09.2018
End date: 31.08.2019
Project budget 47 640 EUR
Project partners
| Role | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|
| LP | Romanian Research Group in Corporate Finance | Romania |
| PP | Institute of Technology and Development Foundation | Bulgaria |
| PP | STEP Institute, Institute for work psychology and entrepreneurship | Slovenija |
DIGITRANS – Digital Transformation in the Danube Region
Background
Digital technologies such as internet of things, big data and cloud computing are dramatically changing the way business is being done. Transformation based on those technologies enables more comprehensive and systematic business models, while simultaneously lowering overall costs to companies. One of the biggest challenges SMEs and start-ups face is the effective transition from current business models to new, technologically advanced and user-friendly ones.
What is DIGITRANS project about?
Its goal is to help SMEs and start-ups adapt their business models, activities and processes in an efficient way and make use of the opportunities digital technologies provide. The transformation will be achieved by:
- Developing an appropriate innovation method which will enable SMEs to create competitive digital business models;
- Establishing incubator premises in the partner regions based on the newly developed DIGITRANS method;
- Developing online learning content and a method tool box which will be integrated into online learning platform;
- Teaching SMEs the skills needed to handle the transformation process. This will be done by providing appropriate trainings.
Key facts
Project value: 2.106.825,97 EUR
EU contribution: 1.790.802,07 EUR
Duration: 01/01/2017 – 30/06/2019
- MFG Innovation Agency media and Creative Industries Baden-Württemberg(D)
Project partners:
- Technology Innovation Centre Medjimurje Ltd (HR)
- Romanian Research Group in Corporate Finance, Association (RO)
- Alumni Association of the Petru Maior University from Tirgu Mures (RO)
- University of Ljubljana (SI)
- IRP Institute of entrepreneurship research (SI)
- Faculty of Organization and Informatics, University of Zagreb (HR)
- Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski (BG)
- Institute of Technology and Development Foundation (BG)
- University of Debrecen, Faculty of Economics (HU)
- MAG Praktikum Nonprofit Ltd (HU)
- University of Vienna (AT)
- Innovation-and Technology Transfer Salzburg GmbH (AT)
- Böblingen District (D)
- Reutlingen University (D)
Associated Partners
- Sarajevo Economic Region Development Agency (BA)
- University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Economics in Subotica (RS)
Official project’s website: DIGITRANS – Digital Transformation in Danube Region
RORCF – training partner in ITSM4SME Long Learning Programme
Description:
The project ITSM4SME supported by the Life Long Learning programme of the European Union, steps into this gap, with the aim to offer substantially simplified IT-service- management-methods to SME of the Danube Region to react on the lack of resources and higher innovation barriers. The project relies on the results of the successful project INNOTRAIN IT.
More than 25 different “best-practice-examples” for service-orientated SMEs have been gathered in six European regions as part of INNOTRAIN IT. They form the knowledge base for trainings in the areas of cost optimization of IT-processes, and business process redesign and process and product innovations.
Courses by date:
#7 – February 20 @ RORCF – 12 Participants;
#9 – March 19 @ RORCF – 12 Participants;
#11 – April 20 @ RORCF – 8 Participants;
#13 – Mai 25 @ RORCF – 16 Participants;
#14 – June 5 @ RORCF & CIPUPM – 17 Participants
Relevant Documents
An Introduction to IT Service Management
TRANSFORMING SMEs IN THE DANUBE REGION – Project final results