Catalysing Regions in Peripheral and Emerging Europe towards Digital Innovation Ecosystems

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The project partners recognise that digital transformation is more than speeding the uptake of digital technologies in Peripheral and Emerging Regions. CARPE DIGEM is about how to create functioning Digital Innovation Ecosystems (DIGEM) with their RTDI skills, packages and delivery mechanisms within government, civil society and business that are required to convert the use and application of new technologies into economic and social opportunity. This requires investments in structures, strategies, tools and people that both complement and enhance the impact of the technology itself; in competences and skills, in organisational change, in new processes, business and governance models, and also in the intellectual assets that help create value from the new technologies. This element of transformation is more complex and requires greater investments than the diffusion of the technologies themselves. Moreover, it has been moving more slowly, particularly in regions outside the economic and social mainstream, where the impacts of new technologies are often complex. We will specifically address the issue of building 'SUSTAINABLE digital innovation ecosystems', focusing on inter-regional cooperation: sharing, co-development, social and economic inclusion not just on gateways to services delivered by metropolitan areas which could accentuate the regional digital divide. Crucially, we want to make sure DIGEMs work as suggested in all EC and OECD strategic documents in ALL regions; to engage with the MA’s at all levels and ensure DIGEMs can be mediators between Government and industry. Digital transformation increases the pressure on firms and public bodies to innovate continuously. CARPE DIGEM will show how we can collectively catalyse, lever, network and expand inter-regional digital eco-systems, enhancing inclusion and mediation/brokerage/coaching capacity to provide universal access to the integrated digital solutions and eco-systems our citizens and enterprises need.

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