European Digital Innovation Hub Suedwest

ongoing

In recent years innovation in products and services is to an increasing extent based on digitalisation which enables enhanced or new functionalities. A key question is “How to optimise the transformation of this potential?” Especially SMEs need an easy access to technologies and capabilities enabling the digital transformation. Here EDIH Südwest will help by pooling different offers in a one-stop-shop, concentrating on the region but also sharing services across borders. EDIH Südwest focuses on three prevailing industrial sectors in South-West Germany: automotive, health and manufacturing. A technological focus is set on “smart sensor systems powered by edge AI”, offering a variety of application opportunities in all three sectors. Another focus is on resilience. These foci will be assessed and adapted, if necessary, throughout the project lifetime. To maximise impact, the services in the four action fields, “training & skills”, “test before invest”, “support to find investments” and “innovation ecosystem”, are specifically tailored towards three distinct groups of clients, “founders, start-ups and spin-offs”, “SMEs, small midcaps and the public sector” and “individuals”, the latter including pupils, students, employees and executives. EDIH Südwest has set up two orthogonal corridors for collaboration with other EDIHs. One in the field of a specific set of hard- and software technologies (Smart Systems) while the other one addresses the automotive area (10/5 EDIHs already committed). 13 partners build a strong consortium, ensuring a well-balanced coverage, both geographically as well as across technologies and services. This core consortium is accompanied by further 11 parties who are also very active in the region. The proposed EDIH will tighten collaboration by bringing partners closer together to catalyse digitalisation in the region and at the same time trigger exchange and cooperation with other European regions.