The Catalan Agency for Business Competitiveness ACCIÓ and Emilia-Romagna Joint Stock Consortium ART-ER signed a letter of intent regulating the collaboration of their respective European Digital Innovation Hubs DIH4CAT and ER2Digit. Joint activities will take place until the end of 2025, involving nodes of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) to benefit SMEs and Public Sector Organisations among local stakeholders.
The two EDIHs will strengthen the collaboration between regional cluster ecosystems, with a particular focus on digital transformation, foster cross-collaboration between the hubs and share technologies at the regional level, enhancing the overall innovation and reinforcing initiatives focused on Artificial Intelligence.
Barcelona and Bologna are coordinators of two of the seven AI Factories new consortia selected by the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC) in December 2024 to mark a significant step towards the creation of a robust AI ecosystem.
DIH4CAT and ER2Digit are part of the European Digital Innovation Hubs Network, the community of tech experts that work together to help and assist Europe’s businesses and organisations on their path towards digital transformation. EDIHs help Public Sector Organisations, Small and Medium Enterprises by equipping them with the essential digital tools to improve their competitiveness, upgrade their infrastructure, and boost their overall digital capacities.
About the EDIHs
DIH4CAT is Catalonia’s European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH), co-funded by the Digital Europe Programme (DEP) and the Spanish "Support Programme for Digital Innovation Hubs" (PADIH), promoted by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism. As a non-profit regional innovation ecosystem, it unites key agents in the Catalonia region (Spain) to accelerate the digital transformation of SMEs, small mid-caps (especially in industrial sectors), tech start-ups, and public administrations. Configured as a networked service community, DIH4CAT offers a wide range of technological and non-technological solutions to enhance digital and technological capabilities. It serves as a key connector between supply and demand within Catalonia.
Led by the Government of Catalonia through the Ministry of Business and Labour, and coordinated by ACCIÓ, DIH4CAT integrates 12 specialised agents, including research and technology organisations, universities, business schools, and industrial associations. The DIH4CAT focuses on seven advanced technology areas—artificial intelligence, supercomputing, cybersecurity, smart connectivity, additive manufacturing, robotics, and photonics—each led by an expert institution.
ER2Digit is the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) of the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy), born to foster the improvement of public services and the adoption of innovative digital solutions in public administration and enterprises. The Hub supports the potential of digitisation through concrete tools to improve competitiveness in different areas: energy, construction, tourism, health, transport and culture. ER2Digit is born from the collaboration of ART-ER, the coordinator, LEPIDA and CINECA.
The EDIH is part of the Network of European Digital Innovation Hubs, namely the partnerships funded by the European Commission under the Digital Europe programme. The Hub is also co-financed by the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy (MIMIT) through resources in the area of 'Strengthening and thematic and territorial extension of technology transfer centres for industry segments'. ER2Digit represents an opportunity for digital innovation in the fundamental sectors of the development of society and the data economy, contributing to the objectives of the Digital Agenda of Emilia-Romagna called 'Data Valley Bene Comune'.