The European Digital Innovation Hub 2.0 for the Greater Rotterdam-The Hague Area

forthcoming

Digitalzh 2.0 is the regional European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) for Zuid-Holland. The project supports SMEs in the Manufacturing, Port & Maritime, and Horticulture sectors by accelerating their digital transformation through practical, high-impact services. Building on the success and lessons of its first phase, Digitalzh 2.0 integrates improved governance, streamlined SME engagement, and reinforced European and national alignment. The project addresses key barriers to digitalisation: lack of awareness, complexity of technology adoption, and financing constraints, by offering structured support across a proven digitalisation funnel: Inform → Activate → Deploy. Over three years, the project aims to reach 1,500 SMEs, activate 600, and support over 150 in implementation, unlocking €6 million in private investment. The project is structured around six work packages: international collaboration, test-before-invest, financing, digital skills, ecosystem engagement, and project management. The experienced consortium includes InnovationQuarter, TU Delft, FME, Metaalunie, Security Delta, Da Vinci College (DFZ), and Dutch Innovation Factory (DIF). It leverages established field labs and skills labs for cost-efficient, demand-driven services. Regionally, Digitalzh 2.0 aligns with Zuid-Holland’s innovation strategies and contributes to both the Dutch Digitalisation Strategy and EU Digital Decade objectives. Internationally, it connects to the EDIH network, actively collaborating with other hubs such as WIN2EDIH (Ukraine), INNDIH (Spain), and partners in the EDIH Maritime Working Group. With a blended funding model (EU, national, provincial, and SME co-investment), Digitalzh 2.0 is designed for long-term impact, aiming by 2027 to leave behind a thriving digital innovation ecosystem that empowers SMEs to compete and grow in a secure, sustainable digital Europe.