Accelerating the digital transformation of public institutions in administration and healthcare, as well as production companies in the North-West Region, facilitated by the Digital Innovation Hub for Society – DIH4Society.
Launched in 2020 by the Authority for the Digitalization of Romania, in partnership with the Ministry of Economy, Energy, and Business Environment, the selection process for digital innovation hubs in Romania allowed for entry into the European competition opened at the end of 2021 for all digital innovation hubs in the EU. Following the evaluation, the European Commission selected seven such hubs in our country for funding. The highest score was obtained by the Digital Innovation Hub for Society (DIH4 Society), proposed by the consortium led by Cluj IT Cluster and composed of Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Bistrița-Năsăud Chamber of Commerce and Industry and University of Oradea.
DIH4Society has been selected by the European Commission as an officially recognized hub of the European Digital Innovation Hubs network (edihnetwork.eu).
A total public funding of nearly 4 million euros has been secured through a direct grant from the European Commission under the Digital Europe Programme (grant no. 101083952 – DIH4Society) and co-financing received from the Romanian state under POCIDIF (DIH4Society Project SMIS 161824 – POCIDIF/1147/2/1/Action 2.4 EDIH). This offers SMEs, public authorities, and healthcare organizations the opportunity to benefit from free specialized services to support innovation and digital transformation (eligibility requirements apply).
Regional digital innovation hubs play an essential role in implementing the program Digital Europe of the European Commission, the first funding program within the Multiannual Financial Framework dedicated to digital transformation. With a proposed budget of around 8 billion Euros, the Digital Europe Programme aims to improve the EU's international competitiveness through significant investments in the development of strategic capabilities, supporting the growth of key areas such as artificial intelligence, high-performance computing (HPC), cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, digitalization of public administration, and interoperability.
One of the important objectives of the Digital Europe program is to create specialized regional points (one-stop-shop type) that offer support services to European enterprises and local and/or regional administrations to facilitate their digital transformation on resilient and sustainable bases. Specifically, the European Digital Innovation Hubs will ensure that innovative digital solutions, based on new technologies, are integrated into the current activity of companies and public institutions in administration and healthcare. The digital innovation hubs also offer the possibility to experiment with and test these technologies, in order to apply them according to the specific needs of each company's or public sector institution's field of activity.
Digital innovation hubs form and consolidate a European network, financially and operationally supported by the European Commission and national states.
How does the Innovation Hub contributețtoă (DIH4Society) to acceleration of the digital transition ofțof public authoritiesțiile publice șand companies in the Nord-West Region.
DIH4Society contributes to accelerating the digital transition in public institutions and manufacturing companies in the North-West Region by providing digital transformation services, including testing and experimentation facilities, through the transfer of expertise and know-how, by providing specialized services related to the use of cybersecurity solutions, robotics, and process automation, and also by providing advanced digital skills development courses and consulting for attracting digitalization funding from public and/or private sources.
A valuable component for potential beneficiaries is provided by internationalization services, access to new markets, and the facilitation of partnerships with entities from both the regional and national ecosystem, as well as the European one, represented by the European network of digital innovation hubs.
Digital resilience is essential in the current international security context. Remote work, data protection legislation, and the emergence of integrated systems and IoT (the Internet of Things) make cybersecurity a foundation of successful digital transformation, so it is also a priority for DIH4Society.
Autonomous systems, which we call smart robotics, are also very important for the transition to Industry 5.0, which combines production, classic and smart robotics, supply and value chains, and the circular economy. Within DIH4Society, we offer assistance to SMEs that want to take the steps of digital transformation and implement activities of this type.
The services provided include offering consulting in relation to financial institutions, as well as support in using various funding mechanisms. Another dimension of DIH4society's activity is related to planning investments in digitalization, developing smart city and smart territory strategies, conducting cybersecurity audits, digital skills training, and also matchmaking, respectively correspondences and compatibilities with similar institutions and potential partners. DIH4Society can facilitate partnerships with digital innovation hubs from other European regions that have success stories related to digitalization.
About the members of the consortiumțiului
CLUJ IT is the most representative cluster of its kind in Romania. With members from companies, universities, and research centers, the CLUJ IT Cluster has been supporting the country's digital transformation processes since 2012.
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, an advanced research and education university, comprises twelve faculties distributed across its two university centers, Cluj-Napoca and Baia Mare, in addition to extensions in the cities of Alba Iulia, Bistrița, Satu Mare, and Zalău. The educational offer, organized in the Bologna system, includes bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs, as well as continuing education programs.
University of Oradea is the only public higher education institution in Bihor county and a member of the European University Alliance EU GREEN. With a history dating back to 1780 and a continuous tradition of 60 years in higher education, the university today hosts 20,445 students in its 15 faculties. Regionally anchored with a global vision, the institution is actively involved in the digital transformation process.
Bistrița-Năsăud Chamber of Commerce and Industry is an autonomous, non-governmental organization of public interest, apolitical, with legal personality, created to represent, defend, and support the interests of its members and the business community in relation to public authorities and organizations both in the country and abroad. In over 30 years of activity, the Chamber has consolidated its position in the county's economic landscape as a useful and necessary institution within the market economy, actively demonstrating its role in defending and promoting the general interests of the local business community and developing an economic environment favorable to economic agents.
