Competence Centers have been active on the ground for about a year. That was enough for the Ministry of Economic Development to confirm their role for the country and propose the Competence Centers to lead Italy’s bid for the European Digital Innovation Hub. For the MISE, in fact, the Competence Centers 4.0 represent the new reference point for business innovation, the aggregation of skills and the acceleration of technology transfer.

The choice of candidacy is reinforced by the signing in recent days of the framework agreement of collaboration between the National System of Competence Centers on Industry 4.0 and the Network of Digital Innovation Hubs of Confindustria. A synergy, the result of close teamwork, which aims to accompany Italian companies, particularly SMEs, in the digital transformation of products and processes and in supporting knowledge and specialized training on 4.0.

An aggregate system focused on digital skills and technology transition to business that the MISE sees as aligned with the Digital Europe Program, which, for the period 2021-2027, is expected to field about 9.2 billion euros. In particular, the Italian Competence Centers are for the Ministry the ideal candidates to have a central role, within the European Digital Innovation Hubs, a conviction also expressed through the sending of a note to all the representatives of the 8 Centers, in which Mise reiterated their coherence and compliance with the general purposes and parameters set by the Commission’s proposal for Regulations.

“The European industrial policy strategy talks about innovation ecosystems. Competence Centers are among the ideal candidates to become European Digital Centers spread throughout the country. And they will be able to do this both by aggregating the competencies present in their territories and promoting strong and deep-rooted system applications; and by working in coordination with other qualified technology transfer actors present. The connection with the Digital Innovation Hubs promoted by Confindustria strengthens this widespread innovation network, creating the best conditions for increasing the digital transformation of businesses. This is the direction along which we want to intervene as MISE: strengthen this system, expand it to the South; take it to Europe by participating in the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs ” said Undersecretary for Economic Development Gian Paolo Manzella.

The news was commented on by Enrico Pisino, CEO of CIM4.0, during a video interview with the editor of Innovation Post.