The Competence Centers have been active in the area for about a year. This was enough for the Ministry of Economic Development to confirm their role for the country and propose that the Competence Centers lead Italy’s candidacy for the European Digital Innovation Hub. For the MISE, the Competence Centers 4.0 represent the new reference point for business innovation, the aggregation of skills, and the acceleration of technology transfer.
The choice of candidacy is reinforced by the recent signing of the framework collaboration agreement between the National System of Competence Centers on Industry 4.0 and the Network of Digital Innovation Hubs of Confindustria. This synergy, the result of a tight team effort, aims to support Italian companies, particularly SMEs, in the digital transformation of products and processes and in supporting knowledge and specialized training in the 4.0 field.
An aggregated system focused on digital skills and technological transition towards businesses that MISE sees aligned with the Digital Europe Programme, which is expected to deploy around 9.2 billion euros for the period 2021-2027. In particular, the Italian Competence Centers are considered by the Ministry as ideal candidates to play a central role within the European Digital Innovation Hubs, a conviction also expressed through the sending of a note to all representatives of the 8 Centers, in which MISE reiterated their coherence and compliance with the general objectives and parameters set by the Commission’s Regulation proposal.
“The European industrial policy strategy talks about innovation ecosystems. The Competence Centers are among the ideal candidates to become European Digital Centers spread throughout the country. They can do this by both aggregating the skills present in their territories and promoting strong and rooted system candidacies; and by working in coordination with other qualified technology transfer actors present. The connection with the Digital Innovation Hubs promoted by Confindustria strengthens this network of widespread innovation, creating the best conditions to increase the digital transformation of businesses. This is the direction in which we want to intervene as MISE: to strengthen this system, expand it to the South; bring it to Europe by participating in the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs” declared the Undersecretary for Economic Development, Gian Paolo Manzella.
The news was commented on by Enrico Pisino, CEO of CIM4.0, during a video interview with the director of Innovation Post.
