Digital Innovation Hubs | DIH
Support network for the digital transformation of small and mid-sized Portuguese companies and Public Administration.
These structures demystify concepts, share knowledge, develop skills, demonstrate solutions, assist in obtaining financing, facilitate relationships and partnerships, and support entrepreneurship.
What are they?
Investing in digital solutions before being certain whether they are suitable and/or add value to your business is a gamble. Digital Innovation Hubs are spaces aimed at helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the Portuguese Public Administration (PA) in the adoption of digital, providing five core services:
1 | Test before investing
Experiment with digital solutions and validate if they are applicable to your business. Allowing SMEs and PA to invest only after they recognize that the solutions enable them to be more competitive.
2 | Train in Digital
Learn about digital and develop specific skills. Empower SMEs and the PA, both its leadership and its employees, so that the digital transformation occurs successfully and at all levels.
3 | Foster relationships
Provide a national and international partner and contact network to offer SMEs and the PA new opportunities to innovate, as well as to strengthen and/or expand their business.
4 | Funding Support
Facilitate access to incentives and sources of funding and assist in their acquisition. Assisting SMEs and the PA to enable the necessary investments for their digital transformation.
5 | Support incubation
Provide conditions for entrepreneurship acceleration. Host startups and support their incubation and growth.
Additional Information
Additionally, each center will be able to provide complementary services related to their specific areas of activity, as well as promote support for digital maturity assessment and support for digital maturity certification (Digital Maturity Seals).
benefits
- Knowledge of digital solutions: "knowing what is out there and what is applicable to me"
- Minimizing risks and prioritizing digital investments: "invest in what/where to invest and safely invest"
- Appropriation of digital skills: "know how"
- Access to new opportunities and synergy capture: "learning from others and making myself known"
- Obtaining financing: "being able to invest"
- Build a foundation: "create and thrive my idea/my business"
National Digital Innovation Hubs Network
In Portugal there are 17 hubs with various scopes (sectorial, technological and regional). The network covers the continental territory, Madeira and the Azores.
Formed by consortiums that encompass several entities, from collaborative laboratories (called CoLAB) to clusters, including Technological Interface Centers (CIT), universities, polytechnic institutes, associations, public and private entities, the hubs bring together experience and several valences of knowledge, infrastructure and facilities, laboratories and equipment available to SMEs and the PA.
In addition to the three priority technologies assumed by the European Commission – cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), and high-performance programming –, the Portuguese hubs cover the following fields:
- Industry/Manufacturing
- Tourism
- Mobility
- Economy of the Sea
- Construction
- Cybersecurity
- Regional Focus
- Defense
- Telcos and TICE
- Agroalimentary
- Urban Sustainability
- Health
- AI and Data Science
European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) Network
The National Network of Digital Innovation Hubs is connected to the European network, allowing synergies, the creation of partnerships, the sharing of knowledge and experiences, and the opening of markets.
Taking advantage of this relationship boosts the Portuguese DIH even further and creates a wide range of opportunities for national SMEs to strengthen their competitiveness.
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Testbeds
Increase the number of new product pilots and maximize their commercialization potential.
Technological Free Zones | ZLT
Demonstration and testing areas or spaces for new technologies that need specific and adapted regulatory regimes.