Please find attached the agenda and questions to be answered during the workshop.

Your participation online is also very much encouraged.

Digital Innovation Hubs: Mainstreaming digital innovation across all sectors

Implementation of "Digitising European Industry" Initiative (COM(2016)/180)

20 October 2016 11:00 – 18:00

Room CCAB 2D, Centre Borschette, rue Froissard 36, Brussels

The aim of the working group is to develop a Report on approaches, best practices and plans for the roll-out of Digital Innovation Hubs.

This is the first meeting of the working group, where initial thoughts on such a plan are discussed in smaller groups. Three topics will be discussed around a set of questions:

• how to develop a network of Digital Innovation Hubs in Europe,

• what are the needs of industry wrt digital transformation

• which investments are necessary to build the network of DIH

The document written by the European Commission "Stock taking of initiatives supporting the development of Digital Innovation Hubs: Lessons learned from EU and national actions" may be used as input for these discussions. After this meeting we want to establish a bi-weekly phone conference to work further on each of the three discussion themes, in order to achieve the following timing:

• A first draft of this report should be ready before the end of December 2016.

• Revised draft for stakeholder forum (end of January 2017)

• Final version for Hannover Fair 2017.

Agenda

10.00: Registration and coffee

11.00: Welcome and setting the scene: Mr. Khalil Rouhana, Dir A, DG CNECT (presentation) and Mr. Slawomir Tokarski, Dir F, DG GROW (presentation)

            Some example Digital Innovation Hubs

• MTC (http://www.the-mtc.org/): Lina Huertas (MTC) - presentation

• Tyndall (https://www.tyndall.ie/): Giorgos Fagas (Tyndall National Institute) - presentation

  Connecting digital innovation hubs with skills providers in the ecosystem: Alexander Riedl (CNECT) - presentation

  12.00: Discussion 1 (in smaller groups):

How can we build a network of Digital Innovation Hubs that can serve companies from all over Europe at "working" distance?

Introduction to the discussion - presentation

• How to ensure that the knowledge of the network, in particular missing competences, reaches out to the DIH where it is needed?

• How to reach out to regions without DIH?

• How to foster synergies and collaboration between DIH and relevant competence centres, such as KETs Technology Centres/ Pilot Lines?

13.00: Reporting back from each subgroup

13.15: Lunch

14.15: Discussion 2 (in smaller groups):

What are the needs of the industry[1] in your region (also related to skills)?

Introduction to the discussion - presentation

• What do competence centres and DIH need to offer to support more effectively industry in your region?

• Which building blocks are already available in your region (innovation programmes, competence centers, clusters, innovation services, training, production facilities, testing and validation infrastructure, ….)

• How can DIH support companies on digital skills?

15.15: Reporting back from each subgroup

15.45: Coffee break

16.00: Presentation on investments through smart specialisation platform for industrial modernisation and lessons learned from EU science and technology parks: Jan Larosse, Marco Pino, DG REGIO - presentation

16.15: Discussion 3 (in smaller groups)

How to invest in Digital Innovation Hubs?

• What is the volume of investments (public and private) necessary in your regions to satisfy the demand of digital transformation services of the industry?

• Which investments are already foreseen by you?

• How can we create synergies between on-going investments and potential Digital Innovation Hubs?

• How to maximize the impact of innovation hubs in the context of the Smart Specialisation Platform on Industrial Modernisation?

17.15: Reporting back from each subgroup

17.30: Next steps - presentation

[1] Industry is used here in a wide sense. It includes all activities (including services) to develop, produce, sell and maintain tangible products. For example agrifood and health care are also considered  industrial activities in this context.