The DIHNET.EU project enables the coordination of European, national and regional initiatives directly supporting digital transformation and Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs). The project creates a sustainable pan-European network of networks, focusing on regional DIHs through the DIHNET.EU Community.

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH establishment 
• DIH expansion & networking

DIHELP stands for “Digital Innovation Hubs Enhanced-Learning Programme”. DIHELP aims to develop a coherent, coordinated and sustainable approach to support industries in all EU Member States at a regional level. DIHELP has developed DIH Academy, a mentoring and coaching programme for DIHs to become sustainable. DIHELP has supported 30 DIHs to develop and/or scale up their activities through DIH Academy.

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH strategy & business development 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation

SmartAgriHubs is a consortium of over 164 partners in the European agrifood sector. The project aims to facilitate European agriculture’s digitalization by fostering an agricultural innovation ecosystem dedicated to excellence, sustainability, and success. The portal has open calls, networking, a library, and training (Elearning, on-location, and webinar).

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH establishment 
• DIH strategy & business development 
• DIH service portfolio & development 
• DIH expansion & networking 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation 
• DIH communication & awareness creation 
• DIH sector-specific topics

AI DIH network is a framework for continuous collaboration and networking between DIHs focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The aim is to help DIHs unlock their collaborative and networking potential via mentoring, coaching and co-creation activities. Based on evidence from demonstration activities, the project has developed a blueprint for cross-border collaboration and supporting measures and policy recommendations or enhancing collaboration and networking potential. Training materials are available in webinars, workshops, training packages, and coaching and mentoring programmes.

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH strategy & business development 
• DIH expansion & networking 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation 
• DIH sector-specific topic

I4MS is one of the EC’s key initiatives to shape the pan-European network of Digital Innovation Hubs. I4MS support manufacturing SMEs and mid-caps in the widespread use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in their business operations. Training is currently available 129 pieces of training on different topics.

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH strategy & business development 
• DIH service portfolio & development 
• DIH expansion & networking 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation 
• DIH sector-specific topics

The SAE Initiative aligns different projects (Innovation Actions) in various technology areas such as cyber-physical and embedded systems, customized low energy computing powering cyber-physical systems and the internet of things, flexible and wearable electronics/organic large area electronics, and widening digital innovation hubs. The section Success story presents good practices in the different technology areas. In the section Services, are training on different topics.

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH establishment 
• DIH strategy & business development 
• DIH service portfolio & development 
• DIH expansion & networking 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation 
• DIH communication & awareness creation 
• DIH sector-specific topics

DigiFed implements a business plan for the sustainability of a federation of DIHs while providing a significant support mechanism for individuals and groups of SMEs to foster digital technologies in their product and service offerings. In the section Explore, several webinars and boot camps on different topics of digitalisation are presented, (such as cybersecurity, IoT-AI, etc.).

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH sector-specific topics

The DIHNET.EU project enables the coordination of European, national and regional initiatives directly supporting digital transformation and Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs). The project creates a sustainable pan-European network of networks, focusing on regional DIHs through the DIHNET.EU Community.

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH establishment 
• DIH expansion & networking

D4D Hub is a new international partnership on digital transformation. It is a key tool for putting a “Team Europe” in action with unprecedented levels of coordination, advancing multi-stakeholder dialogue to leverage expertise and resources, and sharing best practices. AU-EU D4D provides demand-driven technical support to national stakeholders, disseminates best practices, and hosts digital policy dialogues between inter-African and African-EU multi-stakeholders partnerships.

Type of organization: Network

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH expansion & networking

ITU-D Digital Innovation Ecosystems is the thematic priority to empower members to unlock their digital potential, build their capabilities in innovation and entrepreneurship, and accelerate their ecosystems impact on cross-cutting sectors for an inclusive society. Its resources are restricted to member state actors and those they invite.

Type of organization: Network

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH skills & networking

EIT Digital embodies the future of innovation by mobilizing a pan-European, multi-stakeholder open-innovation ecosystem of top European corporations, SMEs, start-ups, universities, and other actors, which addresses the technology, talent, skills, business, and capital needs of digital entrepreneurship. 

Type of organization: Organization

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH expansion & networking 
• DIH sector-specific topics

AfriLabs is a network and organization of 268 innovation centers across 49 African countries. It supports hubs to raise successful entrepreneurs who create jobs and develop innovative solutions to African problems. AfriLabs objectives are to encourage technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship in all forms; to promote the creation of African-made technology; to promote open collaboration, technical innovations and support for the technological community at large; and to commit to capacity building, mentorship, networking and forming bonds. Based on research on African hub needs, capacity gaps and best practices, AfriLabs conduct AfriLabs Capacity Building Programme (ACBP) for hubs, emphasizing business development and investment management. 

Type of organization: Network

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH strategy & business development 
• DIH expansion & networking 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation

BOWI project connects digital innovation hubs and SMEs in the discovery of advanced digital solutions. It aims to build a DIH network based on experience and practice sharing. The network supports companies in bringing their most innovative projects to life, aids investors in discovering the leaders of the digital revolution, and helps development agencies understand industry needs. BOWI explores the best solutions for DIH cooperation through technology transfer experiments. They provide open calls for mature DIHs who will benefit from collaboration with developing DIHs, tech transfer experiments, new collaboration and networking. Open calls for developing DIHs provide a 21-month-long mentoring and support programme.

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH strategy & business development 
• DIH expansion & networking 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation

DIH-World aims to harmonize and widen the landscape of European DIHs across all of Europe to address the “digital innovation hubs divide”. It aims to accelerate the uptake of advanced digital technologies by European manufacturing SMEs in all sectors and strengthens the capacities of regional DIHs. DIH-World supports DIHs with training and mentoring and will provide them access to a wide range of good practices. The objectives of the DIHWorld Academy are to develop and support DIHs to help them define a sustainable business model, support DIH collaboration, and help them develop or fine-tune their value propositions. Services: training camps, regional dissemination workshops, tailored training, toolbox.

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH strategy & business development 
• DIH expansion & networking 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation

The Open Data Incubator for Europe (ODINE) is a 6-month incubator for open data entrepreneurs across Europe. ODINE aims to support the next generation of digital businesses and support them to fast-track the development of their products. On the subpage, Resources are different available resources on topics: Business strategy, data, funding, marketing, ODINE SMEs, and Offers. Reports, tech tools, Training & webinars, and videos.

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH strategy & business development 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation 
• DIH communication & awareness creation

EPP’s overall goal is to boost the European competitiveness through the exploitation of the existing European pilot line production facilities in the area of nanotechnology and advanced material technologies by creating a network of fully connected and collaborating pilot lines and boosting the effectiveness and the efficiency of pilot line facilities and by creating a digital ecosystem acting as an interactive marketplace for professional members. The project aims at leveraging technological research into a product demonstration and further contributing to an enhanced innovation ecosystem and attractive business environment by creating a sustainable ecosystem involving all the stakeholders capable of promoting collaboration along the value chain, developing supporting tools for pilot plants and potential users, promoting the creation of IH, catalyzing and fostering the sustainable business development of the EPPN.

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH service portfolio & development 
• DIH expansion & networking 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation 
• DIH sector-specific topics

The European cluster collaboration platform is the European online hub for industry clusters to strengthen the European economy through collaboration. The services support short-term exchanges better to connect Europe’s industrial clusters and their ecosystems, provide an overview of relevant funding and tenders, it also organizes and shares events related to cluster development and has a knowledge-sharing forum for its registered members. Registered members have access to a knowledge-sharing forum. The mapping tool currently contains information from the profiles of cluster actors registered on the ECCP. On the subpage Publication, there is unlimited access to the latest reports and studies for insight and recommendations from helpful cluster practitioners and the latest trends, policy measures and publications from experts within the ECCP community. 

Type of organization: Initiative

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH strategy & business development 
• DIH expansion & networking 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation

The European Resource Efficiency Knowledge Centre (EREK) helps European companies, especially SMEs, save resources and engage in circular economy and industrial symbiosis. EREK provides tools, information and business opportunities demonstrating new and better ways to be resource efficient and benefit from circular economy business models, which turn waste into assets. Concrete activities include an online platform, news, trends and information on support programmes, a database, and capacity-building and training workshops. To help companies test their performance in resource efficiency, they have developed a Self-Assessment Tool (SAT). Companies received a tailored report grouping together all gathered information and recommendations on becoming more resource-efficient for 11 sectors: office, timber and woodworking, waste collection services, food processing, manufacturing and machinery and equipment, hotels and restaurants, metal and plastics processing, wholesale and retail, textile and clothing, chemicals and process, constructions.

Type of organization: Network

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH strategy & business development 
• DIH service portfolio & development 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation 
• DIH sector-specific topics

The Africa-Europe Innovation Partnership aims to support and connect innovation and technology incubators and accelerators in tapping into new markets, find trusted partners across the Mediterranean as well as build new perspectives, knowledge, and networks. The AEIP seeks to build mutually beneficial partnerships and networks between the two continents by addressing both issues faced by entrepreneurs pursuing growth internationally and challenges in harnessing funding opportunities. The AEIP develops training modules for start-ups, entrepreneurs, and intermediary organizations, seeking synergies with existing training and adapting training materials to local needs and styles. Generic training modules cover EU funding opportunities, whereas Technology modules will focus on intercontinental collaboration in innovation projects. On the subpage Resources, more than 50 useful resources are available on European funding opportunities, tech-hub management and business models, innovative approaches to start-up support and technology transfer.

Type of organization: Initiative

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH strategy & business development 
• DIH service portfolio & development 
• DIH expansion & networking 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation

Ghana Hubs network provides supportive services to their stakeholder community of entrepreneurs, innovation hubs, NGOs, and governments. They facilitate access to three critical resources: training, funding and networking. They advocate policies with governmental bodies on behalf of their network members and the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem. A collection of online workshops helps hub managers and staff acquire additional knowledge and connections to support entrepreneurship. The Series helps strengthen their organization to sustainably achieve their goals and mission. The workshops are available after registration.

Type of organization: Network

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH expansion & networking 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation 
• DIH communication & awareness creation

ISN-HUBS represents an organized community of Hubs in Nigeria to promote collaboration amongst hubs, entrepreneurship, and innovation across Nigeria. They provide capacity development programs that enable hub operators to enhance their entrepreneurship support services. They set standards by facilitating the identification, exchange and use of commercial best practices for workspaces, incubators and accelerators. They also engage with policymakers on the role of hubs in support of job-creating social and commercial ventures in the Nigerian economy. 

Type of organization: Network

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH strategy & business development 
• DIH service portfolio & development 
• DIH expansion & networking

ASSEK is an association that brings together and represents organizations’ interests supporting the development and growth of start-ups and SMEs in Kenya. ASSEK enhanced collaboration between members (sharing information, knowledge and best practices), capacity building, policy, and empowerment through collaborations and partnership and internationalization. They provide capacity development programs and professional development. They facilitate peer-to-peer learning workshops and round tables, organize knowledge exchange programs and co-create a collective code of conduct and standards. 

Type of organization: Network

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH strategy & business development 
• DIH expansion & networking 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation

Funding box champions entrepreneurs and innovators eager to ignite their growth to rewrite their future through easy-to-apply funding opportunities and tailor-made acceleration programmes. They match global brands and investors with promising start-ups to put profitable collaborations on track that will accelerate their innovation processes. They provide funding information, connections to different communities, scale-up innovation processes, and knowledge sharing. 

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH service portfolio & development 
• DIH expansion & networking

I4Trust builds a sustainable ecosystem where companies can create innovative services by breaking “data silos” by sharing, re-using, and trading data assets, developing innovative services based on data sharing and creating new data-driven business models. They contribute to the digital transformation of industrial value chains across multiple domains. They provide different types of programmes in the field of data spaces, like the Train the Trainers program for DIHs. In the Resources section, some material is available on data sharing.

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH service portfolio & development 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation 
• DIH sector-specific topics

The European Incubator-Accelerator helps EdTech start-ups and SMEs turn ideas into market-ready products, break the barriers to education, and enhance learning experiences in a new era of human-centered digital education. IMPACT EdTech provides expert knowledge, educational resources, and data. Education and digital learning through a hybrid incubator-accelerator. Inclusive education, targeting specific underserved or vulnerable groups, personalized learning with a focus on supporting new, research-based pedagogical approaches for in-classroom education and encouraging lifelong learning. Skill development focuses on developing STEM, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication. 3 open calls.

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH service portfolio & development 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation 
• DIH sector-specific topics

The original strategic mission of ECHORD was to enable researchers to use industrial-level equipment for know-how transfer experiments, encourage researchers and manufacturers to identify and work together on emerging technology scenarios through establishing a structured dialogue between all players, extract, consolidate and broadcast the actual progress achieved in the experiments to the robotics community. They provide experiments and good practices from different sectors in the field of robotics.

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH service portfolio & development 
• DIH expansion & networking 
• DIH sector-specific topics

The project “Smart Factories in the new EU Member States” aims at building a DIHs network in Europe, where companies could have access to expertise, development and testing facilities of digital technologies, as well as access to finance and innovation services. 34 DIH applicants have participated in the Training & Mentoring programme. The training & mentoring programme includes different activities such as developing a specific business plan, training and coaching, provision of manuals and relevant documentation, establishing potential funding schemes, and organizing regional workshops. On the subpage, Library, some material from this training is available.

Type of organization: Project

Types of Capacity building programmes offer: 

• DIH establishment 
• DIH strategy & business development 
• DIH skills & knowledge creation