Rural Industry Digital Innovation Hub is a strong national development and support center, boosting digital transformation in sparsely populated areas. Typically these regions have strong SME and agricultural profile and many local success stories, which deserve to be highlighted. Too often, however, these entrepreneurs lack public interest, technological awareness, capital and workforce. They deserve up-to-date services for testing, good opportunities for project networks and supportive consultancy services for marketing, personnel training and productization. 

Rural Industry DIH aims at filling this gap, focusing on activities that help surrounding rural areas to grow according to their full potential. Digitalization of businesses is the core of activities, realized in research & innovation, education & training, technical consultation & support, internationalization, novel business models and funding. The actions of Rural Industry DIH are in line with the regional Smart Specialization Strategies, supporting the innovation potential of SMEs in the digital transformation. Oulu Region’s smart specialization strategy recognizes the digitalization as a cross-cutting theme in the support of the chosen spearhead industries. The strategy will be updated in 2020, recognizing better the importance of the development of rural industries, like agriculture and food industry and the responding actions to the climate change.

The digitalization challenges in the area have been identified, and DIH activities are having strong focus on them right from the beginning:

Companies having low digitalization level in current situation and not enough skills and resources to ramp it up alone. Especially SMEs with longer history and more aged leadership are typical cases of this kind. These companies will be helped by training and getting them aqcuainted with possibilities of digital modernization. Laboratories available added with feasibility studies gained in various projects and customer cases are a good help for
Companies needing help for more digital / Industry4.0 enhancements in their processes and products. In particular, there are a lot of SME manufacturing companies in the DIH region, which are lacking the needed expertize for next steps. Often there are punctual needs related to testing, analysis, robotization, new sensor solutions, IoT etc. DIH main actors have strong experience in this area and can provide test-before-invest activities in modern digital manufacturing enviroments in their labs, to help them go through demanding design phases, provide fast prototyping and POC services etc.
Companies needing help for their internal working processes such as e-commerce, agile working methods, quality raising, smart logistics, product information models and other new enhancements typical for the new digital age. Typically these include both working processes and supporting IT systems, both of which must be taken under active development. Many times these companies would be able to provide B2B products and services also in a globalized manner, but they need help for raising the needed skills and digital systems.Helping tools include not only training and consultation, but also networking and internationalization, in close connection with the previous system development processes.

Rural Industry DIH works in 3 neighboring NUTS3 regions, Oulu Region, Central Ostrobothnia and Ostrobothnia. The administrational center of Rural Industry DIH is located in Ylivieska campus in Oulu Region. The ecosystem consists of all administrational key actors of the area. The regional councils of all the three regions are committed to support Rural Industry DIH as well as ELY Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (representing Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland). In addition, all the local sub-regional development agencies are included in the co-operational network.

All three regional competence centers are committed to operate DIH daily work.

Centria University of Applied Sciences acts as a leading partner of the Rural Industry DIH. Besides of having higher education in 3 campuses in the area, it's R&D division has a long record in research projects, having typically running 80 projects with about 6M€ annual budget. Centria has also over 30 years of nationally acclaimed experience in co-operation with rural companies, providing testing, prototyping and consultation services in different business areas with annual volume of 1,5M€. From over 100 people working for Centria R&D, over 40 are solely dedicated to digitalization themes and serving Rural Industry DIH with all their professional ambition.
The University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute is an international research institute with a mission to provide evidence based knowledge on micro-enterprises and their operating conditions. Our research theme is Operational Excellence of  Micro-Enterprises. Kerttu Saalasti Instituute provides knowledge from the prespectives of Micro-Entrepreneurship as well as Future Manufacturing Technologies and Regional Excellence that enable vitality and growth at the micro-enterprise level. Societal impact of research is our strength.  Kerttu Saalasti Institute provides knowledge to support development of enterprises and communities in order to generate sustainable growth.

Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius acts as a joint institution in Kokkola, carrying out teaching and research under the auspices of the universities of Jyväskylä, Oulu and Vaasa.. The Consortium’s areas of specialization mainly reflect those of its university partners: education, data processing, social sciences and regional studies, business and administration, natural sciences, and materials technology. The University Consortium offers both master’s and doctoral level education. In addition, it engages in scientific research, arranges a wide range of adult education courses, and accepts commissions from individuals and organizations within the region. Thus, its activities may be looked on as a modern attempt to combine the goals of educational, scientific, and regional policy under one roof.

These 3 competence centers share the responsibility of operational activities. All of them are non-profit academic institutions, and the aim of DIH is strictly non-commercial. Consortium behind these three main actors is composed of a comprehensive selection of regional economic development agencies, chambers of commerce, SME service organizations and companies. Together they form a substantial overall capability for strong regional impact. Commercial consortium members having profit organization status are not responsible of any operational work, as they have more a mentor-type role, also representing other commercial SME and MidCap field in the area. That way the needs and challenges of companies will be heard better in Rural Industry DIH.

In addition, the plan is to bind the new Rural Industry DIH immediately to the existing participation / collaboration networks of DIHs such as 5GTNF, Smart Manufacturing DIH and ROBOCOAST. Moreover, the dense ecosystem of international co-operation via S3 Agrifood, ERIAFF, ERRIN, European Industry associations and project consortiums are utilized in order to establish firm European-wide collaboration environment. Digital technologies.

Riga Technical University Information Technology Institute (ITI) is a research and higher education institution with a mission of knowledge and technology transfer to industry in the area of information technology. ITI emphasizes a cross-disciplinary approach with applications in software services, transportation, logistics, and urban development. The ITI is non-profit insititution with a mission to help companies and organization to solve complex digitalization problems and to facilitate knowledge and technology transfer to businesses and society.

The main areas of specialization are enterprise integration including advanced enterprise applications and business process improvement, development of scalable cloud solutions for big data processing, data mining and machine learning including applications in cybersecurity, IoT, intelligent transportation systems and biotechnology,  modelling and optimization of complex systems, development of digital twins as well as digital transformation of organization by using advanced information technologies.

ITI provides companies with cloud-hosted test and development environments for prototyping and implementing advanced ICT solutions. Several Enterprise Resource Planning systems are available to investigate business process improvement possibilities and application integration. Cloud computing infrastructure is available to develop horizontally scalable systems and to implement computationally demanding analytical solutions. ITI’s proprietary horizontally scalable real-time data processing platform BaSeCaaS and capability-driven development methodology are provided for implementing custom context-aware and adaptive real-time big data publishing and processing services according to Kappa and Lambda architecture. HPC equipment is provided for training machine learning models and performing resource intensive simulations. A simulation modelling and digital twin development platform is available for creating models of complex systems and conducting experiments.
ITI organizes events for promoting knowledge and technology transfer to SME including industry days and a conference on digitalization at SME in cooperation with the Latvian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, which is responsible for digitalization in Latvia (http://iti.rtu.lv/en/research/projects/confrerence-promoting-digitaliza…). Digital technologies.

The main focus of our Robotics Hub is to support companies with their innovations and digitalisation needs regarding robotics. Also we aim to increase the awareness of possibilities, to stimulate the uptake of digitalisation and to achieve low-threshold access for the ecosystem. We strive to serve our clients as a one-stop-shop.

We support SMEs with their technology or product innovations as follows:

- We create dedicated project teams which match with the specific needs and challenges of the companies innovation.

- We organize courses and trainnings (each for 5-7 people) supporting digitalisation activities of SMEs (automatisation, mechatronics, programming, IT, IoT, etc.). Except of common courses and trainings, we also compose trainings, custom-made to companies needs.

- We organize workshops and open (demonstration) days.

- Besides capabilities like research and development, design, simulatation etc., we contribute with building, testing and validating robotic solutions in our Prototyping & Innovation Center. This center is, among other things, equipped with modern CNC machining centres, enabling us to produce complex prototypes or special components with high precision.

Robotics Hub Kosice has a not-for-profit objective and is organized within the University of Kosice, faculty of mechanical engineering in cooperation with Science Park Technicom and the regional government (Košický samosprávny kraj). Together, we search to excite the local ecosystem and to create more awareness about the opportunities and benefits of digitalisation. This to stimulate the regional economy and to support the main priority areas of the the Regional Innovation and Specialisation Strategies of the Slovak Republic(RIS3) and help to transform less advanced regions into good followers.

Market domains in which we have the most business experience are: automotive, nuclear power industry, inspection&maintenance, manufacturing, internal material handling systems, health care.

Digital technologies.

The main objective of this Digital Innovation Hub is to offer services contributing to facilitate and accelerate the integration of robotic technologies in different sectors by integrating actors in the entire value chain including research and technology developers, system integrators and end-users.

The DIH services are provided by non-profit organizations.Both public and private actors are being integrated to contribute to the digitalization of industry and services through robotics. Application areas include Inspection and Maintenance, Production, Healthcare and Agri-food.

The robotics hub provides access to research results and best practices, experimentation infrastructures, pilots and demonstrators. Support of experiments and mentoring is also offered to increase the Technology Readiness Level of existing technologies. The dissemination activities include the organisation of specialized workshops

Services also include training, as well as assessment about standards, related regulations, and funding sources. Digital technologies.

The SKALP Robotics Association

is an interdisciplinary organization aimed at the promotion of robotics, industry support related to modern technologies and education in robotics and automation, modern production methods and the space industry. We build prototypes, develop new technologies and undertake tasks that are too difficult for others. We offer technological consulting services for companies, including technological readiness audits according to the ADMA methodology. 
Everyone interested in our activities is invited to the Open Robotics Laboratory - a space dedicated to prototyping, experimenting and looking for answers to the most difficult questions. Our laboratory is located in the Gdańsk Science and Technology Park. Members of the Association are currently involved, among others. in the projects of autonomous vehicles, inspection robots and intelligent agricultural robots.

As a non-profit organization, the association reinvests any operating income as part of its statutory activities.
 

As part of cooperation increasing the competences and digital capabilities of small and medium-sized companies with whom we cooperate, we offer a number of services, including:
 

Field meetings with companies. The lack of awareness of the need for change has been diagnosed by us as one of the biggest stoppers in digital transformation. For this purpose, we organize a series of meetings on site, as close as possible to potential customers. The main purpose of the meetings is to arouse the interest and curiosity of entrepreneurs. Therefore, the presented materials will be short, engaging and showing the latest technologies, such as walking robots, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, etc. To this will be attached Use Cases of our partners showing the real benefits of implementing modern industry 4.0 solutions.

 

Visits to the Leaders of Transformation. To show the possibilities and advantages of implementing digital technologies, we organize visits among regional leaders in implementing modern solutions. These are both companies that have previously undergone a transformation process together with the Association, and organizations that have been improving their operations with modern tools for years. The visits are recorded, edited and published on the Association's channels.

 

Digital Maturity Assessment. The next step, after building awareness and the need for change, is to conduct an audit assessing at what point in digital progress the organization is at and what are the further development priorities. SR SKALP in its resources has 3 certified ADMA auditors, it also has audit experience resulting from cooperation with many production companies.

 

Technology demonstrators. In order to understand the potential of emerging new technologies, entrepreneurs must have space to freely familiarize themselves with the latest technological developments. The Digital Innovation Hub should naturally provide the possibility of contact with technologies unavailable elsewhere. As SR SKALP, we focus primarily on solutions in the field of walking robots, autonomous vehicles, including drones, and high-speed manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing.

 

Test Before Invest. High costs and the uncertainty of the return on investment in modern solutions are the biggest brake stopping small and medium-sized companies from implementing new solutions. With this in mind, we provide companies with the possibility of low-cost testing of the technology, using both the Association's personal resources and the space of the Robotics Laboratory at GPNT. Acting quickly and agile, providing customers with prototypes in a very short time, we convince about the advantages of modern solutions, as well as show that experimenting with technology can be cheap and should be a natural element of their business.

 

Digital transformation roadmap. The final stage of the transformation path is the preparation of a complementary plan to implement changes in the organization. This is the stage at which SKALP representatives work with commercial technology suppliers and the client, gradually “handing over” the client ready for full-scale implementation. Only at this stage, the company is aware of the need for change, has mapped key areas that require improvement and has the necessary internal knowledge to ensure the success of the entire transformation process.

  Digital technologies.

Robocoast DIH

Robocoast is a center of excellence that is managed by regional non-profit development company Prizztech Ltd. The form of the organization is a network comprising around 100 SMEs in the Satakunta Region of West Finland in the field of automation, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) and two local universities specialized in robotics and AI.

Robocoast combines the needs of enterprises in order to promote modernization of the industry and services by developing new robotics solutions together with a large network of industrial and research partners. The mission of Robocoast is to increase industrial competitiveness by providing modernization and simulation services, RDI support for SMEs, business development, education and training.

Robocoast has Satakunta University of Applied Science (SAMK) and Technology University of Tampere – Pori Unit (TUT) in the ecosystem. SAMK and TUT can offer Robotics and AI Academy services and education related projects to developing Robotics, Modernisation, Simulation, Machine Learning and Deep Learning frameworks and algorithms to provide decision support based on heterogeneous data sources. The main users of these services would be industrial partners who strive to optimize their production based on data analytics. They are also specialized in agricultural data analytics.

On the national and international level, Robocoast is a partner in several networks and programs related to robotics and artificial intelligence, such as Robot Union, Allied ICT Finland (AIF), BDVA and HiPEAC.

Robocoast is doing cooperation with several other DIH organisations in EU. Tetramax, Robo Valley, Digital Innvoation of Tartu and Elektronicas un Datorzinatnu Instituts (EDI) are examples of DIH partners of Robocoast.

Made in China 2025 (MIC2025) is a national development program in China. The goal of MIC2025 is to comprehensively upgrade Chinese industry and make it more efficient. The City of Ningbo is selected as the pilot city of MIC2025 and Robocoast is Ningbo’s strategic partner in implementing the program. The role of Robocoast is to identify and convey European robotics experts and knowledge to MIC2025.

Robocoast continually identifying new concrete regional, national or international robotization and modernization challenges e.g. by utilizing The Robocoast Challenge Bank process. The Robocoast Challenge Bank process aims to help as many industry and service companies as possible to quickly and efficiently find the best skills and existing solutions. Thererfore it helps enterprise-specific modernization projects.

The most interesting robotization and modernization challenges will be solved in Robocoast Challenges, Robocoast R&D workshops and/or Living Lab environments with the best robotics experts. At its best, the result is the prototype of the new robot or highly improved production line or service.

Robocoast DIH is a unique global gateway combining both Chinese and European excellence, networks and partners in the field of industrial modernization, AI, automation and robotics! Digital technologies.

Robotics Digital Innovation Hub in the Community of Madrid is officially committed with R&D and technology transfer to society and industry. The consortium is formed by the six leading R&D centres in Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (coordinator), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Alcalá, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos and Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, and is distributed throughout the the region of Madrid: Madrid, Leganes, Arganda del Rey, Alcorcón, Alcalá de Henares, etc. Several types of industries are also part of the RoboCity2030 hub: spin-offs created from the DIH, technological supporting partners (mainly tech SMEs) and end-users (hospitals, big multinational companies, etc.). We are collaborating and providing services to +30 companies and hospitals in the region. Robocity2030 DIH is officially approved and co-funded by the Region of Madrid. Digital technologies.

Starting from a national initiative aiming to support the technology sector through a digitalization package designed mostly for startups, RO Tech Nation Digital Innovation Hub developed into a partnership between eleven organizations with expertise in complementary fields of specialization (Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Digital Skills and Cybersecurity, aiming to implement digital solutions in several domains of activity, such as Smart Cities, Administration digitalization, Industry 4.0, Industries digital transformation, E-health, and Culture). With a non-profit aim, RO Tech Nation DIH is looking forward to providing technological expertise and experimentation facilities at European standards, in order to digitally transform economic agents and public entities belonging to Bucharest-Ilfov region of Romania. 

Complementary, RO Tech Nation DIH intends to mobilize regional actors, aspiring to accomplish the highest and most ambitious level of economic, social and administrative competitiveness. This goal consists of boosting the technology and entrepreneurship ecosystems towards national development, presenting the transformational projects carried out by the representatives of the local technology ecosystem, and least but not last providing know-how for students and future entrepreneurs.

Acting on multiple levels, RO Tech Nation DIH is going to contribute to:

Education and digital transformation through supporting the non-formal digital education and developing young people and future entrepreneurs’ digital skills; increasing the number of business accelerators; and promoting professional reorientation opportunities for IT jobs;
Technology and entrepreneurial ecosystems development through promoting and supporting local projects and technology and entrepreneurial ecosystems; supporting local coworking spaces;
Innovation and technology funding through supporting funding instruments regarding new tech businesses establishment and mentoring programmes for entrepreneurs aiming to receive national or international funding.
Digital technologies.

RIOHUB aims at developing a feasibility study for the creation of a hub around 4.0 Industry in La Rioja, to promote the adoption of ICT in traditional and key manufacturing sectors in the Region (Agro-food and foot-wear), by empowering the uptake of I4MS technologies, namely Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) and Internet of Things (IoT). To this end RIOHUB brings together 5 entities who represent the key actorsfor the Digitalisation and Modernisation of strategic manufacturing sectors in La Rioja Region. Additionally 26 key stakeholders (e.g. main public institutions, clusters and competence centres) have shown their strategic interest in the articulation of this Hub, for the promotion of I4MS technologies in La Rioja Manufacturing Sectors. Digital technologies.

The BioRobotics Institute is one of the core partners of ECHORD++ Consortium. It represents a research park specifically created by Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna to better house the research activities and to favour technology transfer. It is equipped with laboratories and research centres for one of ECHORD++’s RIF. It is located at the Polo Sant’Anna Valdera, which also houses an office of the Italian Institute of Technology (MicroBioRobotics Center). Most of the scenarios proposed in ECHORD++’s RIFs will be held in Facilities located in Peccioli area and in the Service Robotics and Green Robotics- Ambient Assisted Living(AAL) Laboratory. The BioRobotics Institute also provides different services such as external facilities as real testing bed enviroment, its own laboratories in the eight research areas, the connection with the joint laboratories all over Italy and the chance to collaborate with SSSA’ Spin Offs. Digital technologies.