The ER2Digit project, the Emilia-Romagna Region's European Digital Innovation Hub, is officially launched. It is the result of Cineca's collaboration with Art-ER and Lepida and is co-funded by the European Union to foster the improvement of public services and the adoption of innovative digital solutions in the Public Administration and businesses.

ER2Digit supports the digitisation potential of small and medium-sized enterprises and public bodies through concrete tools, that is by providing knowledge, skills and resources to improve competitiveness in many areas: health, construction, culture, tourism, land monitoring and sustainability. 

For its activities, the project also makes use of the skills and research and experimentation capacity of the Industrial Research Laboratories and Innovation Centres of the Emilia-Romagna High Technology Network.

In ER2DIGIT, Cineca plays a vertical technical role, providing its technological infrastructure and technical support. In particular, Cineca will be responsible for coordinating the training services offered to the users of the Digital Innovation Hub, as well as collaborations with other European Digital Innovation Hubs and technological networks, with the aim of putting at the service of the project the large number of initiatives in which Cineca already participates in Europe.

Starting in 2023, the hub will offer a series of services based on the catalogue made available through the launch of periodic Open Calls of the following types:

  1. TEST BEFORE INVEST: testing, experimentation and validation including strategic support for research and innovation development, roadmap definition, access to infrastructure, digital equipment and the organisation of demonstration sessions and awareness-raising events.
  2. SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING based on a mix of different tools: advanced and specialised digital skills development courses, thematic workshops and on-site training.
  3. INVESTMENT RESEARCH through access to public and private funding, business process innovation for the adoption of digital solutions, due diligence and risk/opportunity assessment.
  4. INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM AND NETWORKING through the organisation of business match and brokerage events in cooperation with Enterprise Europe Network, technology scouting, partner search and a range of Open Innovation services.