CARPE DIGEM
Catalysing Regions in Peripheral and Emerging Europe towards Digital Innovation Ecosystems
Smart
Digitisation
2014-2020
Project summary
10 partners from 7 countries in peripheral, rural and emerging European regions collaborated over the four years of the CARPE DIGEM project to foster more inclusive digital innovation ecosystems and services to meet the needs of their economies and society. The COVID 19 Pandemic helped to demonstrate the value of digital services in maintaining a functioning society, education system and economy, particularly in remote regions. The project has assisted its partners to improve its 7 selected policy instruments and others to help them to become better enablers and deliverers of digital innovation.
CARPE DIGEM has explored how the partners, in close collaboration with their regional public, private and community stakeholders, can better communicate and enage their regions or territories in improving strategies for digital transformation, predicting and developing new skills and competencies for the future. This has particularly been the case with the development of European 'Digital Innovation Hubs' (such as DIHBAITUR in Mallorca, 4PDIH in Slovenia and the Smaert Isalnd Hub' in Madeita and networks of local digital/multifunctional hubs which enable local stakeholders, even in the most rural and remote (in NW Ireland and Burgundy) regions to to access digital technical and strategic support services. Secondly Short Food Supply Shains have shown one of the greatest potential for improvement through digital transformation however due to the complexity and fragmentation of sector also one of the greatest challenges.
CARPE DIGEM has helped its participants how improve or create Digital Innovation Ecosystems (DIGEMs) in regions considered to be outside the digital, economic and social core of Europe, traditional 'receivers' of innovation and change.The final conference helped to show that new strategies such as 'Digital Emancipation', where digital skills and knowledge are seen as basic citizen rights, are at the basis of 'remote' digital innovations ecosystems, as much as services to ensure SME's are aware of, understand and can use the latest 'Disruptive technologies'
CARPE DIGEM has helped to demoanstrate how we can collectively catalyse, lever, network and expand inter-regional digital eco-systems outside metropolitan Europe, to help provide universal access to the integrated digital solutions and eco-systems our citizens, public administrations and businesses need. The big question that began to dominate our discussions towards the end of the project is if the same 'peripheral' regions can ensure that the most dispruptive of new technologies: Artificial Intelligence, does not create a deeper divide, but can truly be 'tamed' to serve the needs of our societies and economies.
CARPE DIGEM has explored how the partners, in close collaboration with their regional public, private and community stakeholders, can better communicate and enage their regions or territories in improving strategies for digital transformation, predicting and developing new skills and competencies for the future. This has particularly been the case with the development of European 'Digital Innovation Hubs' (such as DIHBAITUR in Mallorca, 4PDIH in Slovenia and the Smaert Isalnd Hub' in Madeita and networks of local digital/multifunctional hubs which enable local stakeholders, even in the most rural and remote (in NW Ireland and Burgundy) regions to to access digital technical and strategic support services. Secondly Short Food Supply Shains have shown one of the greatest potential for improvement through digital transformation however due to the complexity and fragmentation of sector also one of the greatest challenges.
CARPE DIGEM has helped its participants how improve or create Digital Innovation Ecosystems (DIGEMs) in regions considered to be outside the digital, economic and social core of Europe, traditional 'receivers' of innovation and change.The final conference helped to show that new strategies such as 'Digital Emancipation', where digital skills and knowledge are seen as basic citizen rights, are at the basis of 'remote' digital innovations ecosystems, as much as services to ensure SME's are aware of, understand and can use the latest 'Disruptive technologies'
CARPE DIGEM has helped to demoanstrate how we can collectively catalyse, lever, network and expand inter-regional digital eco-systems outside metropolitan Europe, to help provide universal access to the integrated digital solutions and eco-systems our citizens, public administrations and businesses need. The big question that began to dominate our discussions towards the end of the project is if the same 'peripheral' regions can ensure that the most dispruptive of new technologies: Artificial Intelligence, does not create a deeper divide, but can truly be 'tamed' to serve the needs of our societies and economies.
What did this project achieve?
At the beginning of the project we aimed to design a learning and application 'Loop' at regional and inter-regional levels so that CARPE DIGEM partners could better achieve their global objective of improving regional economic and social growth trajectories through 'permanent digital evolution and innovation'.
The standard project process of partner meetings and staff/expert exchanges, was however completely disrupted, by the Covid 19 pandemic. For 2 years the partnership relied on the very digital tools it was Intending to promote, partnership meetings, workshops, seminars and conferences all took Place online. Importantly these events were now more accessible to regional stakeholders and those outside the partnership, and events such as our tourism webinar, attracted over 200§.
In 2019 the intended that the project would ensure the following results whilst this has not always been the case largely due to the exceptional circumstance; the project has adapted and worked with regional and territorial stakeholders to create results which have helped to transform there digital innovation ecosystems. some of these results can be found in the News section.
• Accessible and wide ranging knowledge of responsible policy makers and key stakeholders to support and establish sustainable DIGEMS. DIGEMS will ensure that innovative digital products and services that lead to Improvements in Growth, employment and investment and in the quality of life will be delivered. • Significant improvement to staff, expert and stakeholder skills who integrate territorial needs and models within the wider European digital innovation networks • Well skilled and equipped digital mediators to enable rural youth, entrepreneurs and the socially/economically excluded to fully benefit from and contribute to digital innovation • 6 regional DIH working in network under the CARPE DIGEM approach • 15 new companies exploiting digital tools and services in the area of: Digital education; Healthcare; Creative industry; Tourism; Energy Industrial design and Media • 50 SMEs supported through Digital Innovation Hubs enhanced or established through projects resulting from CARPE DIGEM • Digital Innovation projects resulting from CARPE DIGEM
In 2019 the intended that the project would ensure the following results whilst this has not always been the case largely due to the exceptional circumstance; the project has adapted and worked with regional and territorial stakeholders to create results which have helped to transform there digital innovation ecosystems. some of these results can be found in the News section.
• Accessible and wide ranging knowledge of responsible policy makers and key stakeholders to support and establish sustainable DIGEMS. DIGEMS will ensure that innovative digital products and services that lead to Improvements in Growth, employment and investment and in the quality of life will be delivered. • Significant improvement to staff, expert and stakeholder skills who integrate territorial needs and models within the wider European digital innovation networks • Well skilled and equipped digital mediators to enable rural youth, entrepreneurs and the socially/economically excluded to fully benefit from and contribute to digital innovation • 6 regional DIH working in network under the CARPE DIGEM approach • 15 new companies exploiting digital tools and services in the area of: Digital education; Healthcare; Creative industry; Tourism; Energy Industrial design and Media • 50 SMEs supported through Digital Innovation Hubs enhanced or established through projects resulting from CARPE DIGEM • Digital Innovation projects resulting from CARPE DIGEM
A few numbers
1,737,910 €
01 Aug 2019-31 Jul 2023
10 partners