Last updated: 30/07/2024.
This page provides a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) relating to the Digital Transformation Accelerator (DTA). The list of questions is preliminary and the page will be continuously updated throughout the course of the project. More information on the DTA and the EDIH Network can be found on the Homepage of the EDIH Network Platform.
1. About the DTA
The DTA (Digital Transformation Accelerator) is a project that aims to support the creation, development, and growth of the pan-European DIH network, facilitate intra and inter-regional collaboration between European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), build up the digital capacity of EDIHs through hand-picked training sessions, and provide guidance and advisory support.
The DTA supports a diverse range of stakeholders including European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), Digital Capacity Providers, Research & Technology Organisations (RTOs), European SMEs, European Public Bodies and Public Sector Organisations, Digital Innovation Hubs (not supported by the DIGITAL Europe programme), Policy Makers, Digital Transformation Platforms, and the general public.
European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) are one-stop shops supporting companies to respond to digital challenges and become more competitive. By providing access to technical expertise and testing, as well as the possibility to 'test before invest', EDIHs support companies to improve business/production processes, products, or services using digital technologies. They also provide innovation services, such as financing advice, training, and skills development that are central to successful digital transformation. (Source: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/edihs).
High-quality candidate EDIHs, for which no European funding was available, have received a Seal of Excellence. Some of these will be funded by their Member States or region and once operational, will be part of the network of EDIHs. (Source: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/edihs).
The EDIH Network website URL is https://european-digital-innovation-hubs.ec.europa.eu/home.
2. DTA Services
The DTA serves as an effective intermediary/interface between DG CNECT and the network of EDIHs. Services will be delivered to EDIHs through 5 main service lines – 1) Capacity-building, 2) Community-building, 3) Collaboration, 4) Coordination, and 5) Communication. These service lines include guidance and advice, training, matchmaking and networking, IT services, an online software platform, assistance in media relations, communications and branding, as well as impact assessment, road mapping, data collection and analysis.
DTA Services currently available for EDIHs:
EDIH Network Online Platform, including:
Digital Maturity Assessment Tool
KPI Tool
My EDIH space
EDIH mini-site
EDIH Catalogue
Guidance documents
EDIH Academy (training courses)
DTA Helpdesk
Social media and communication activity
EDIH Network Annual Summit
Working Groups and matchmaking events
Events and webinars
The DTA can be contacted support@edihnetwork.eu
Yes. The DTA uses both X https://twitter.com/edih_net and LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/edih-net/about/. News, updates and information about the DTA and EDIH Network will be shared via these social media platforms.
The obligations on visual identity and dissemination are reported in the model grant agreement - see page 45-46 and Annex 5, especially pages 93-94.
In practice, in your communication you have to use the EU emblem (flag) and a disclaimer stating that the project is co-funded by the European Union.
Detailed branding information can be found here: https://european-digital-innovation-hubs.ec.europa.eu/branding-information. The logos can be downloaded via Dropbox with a single click.
3. EDIH Network Online Platform
To facilitate the smooth functioning of the EDIH network, an online platform dedicated to the EDIH Network has been developed. The online platform will provide a centralised space for EDIHs to access a range of resources including the “My EDIH” space, the Digital Maturity Assessment Tool, self-reporting tool, and the EDIH catalogue. Members of the EDIH network will have direct access to the online platform, enabling EDIHs to carry out key functions such as managing mini-sites and contacting the Helpdesk.
To access the restricted sections of the online platform such as the “My EDIH” space, EDIHs must be logged into the portal with their EU login credentials. The EDIH Network Online Platform can be accessed here: https://european-digital-innovation-hubs.ec.europa.eu/home. Access can only be verified for EDIH coordinators initially, more information and instructions for setting up your account can be found in the Login Instruction Manual.
The EDIH Catalogue is a user-friendly tool to quickly find information about the EDIHs. Each EDIH has a page including a short description, its sectors, technologies and services, but also partnering entities and detailed contact information.
The search functionalities and filters allow the user to look for the three types of hubs:
Funded under Digital Europe programme: Co-funded by the European Commission and Member States/Associated Countries (EDIHs).
Seal of Excellence: Positively evaluated in a European competitive call but funded exclusively by national or regional resources (SoEs).
Funded by other initiatives: Digital innovation hubs with similar activities to EDIHs but not connected to the network. Users will need to select this type manually (DIHs).
Additional filters are: countries, services, technologies and sectors.
The “MY EDIH” section of the EDIH Network Online Platform is a space dedicated to EDIHs, where various actions can be executed. EDIHs can access and manage data related to them, such as contact lists, Digital Maturity Assessment Tool results, and KPIs in the self-reporting tool.
EDIHs have the opportunity to create a “mini-site” which is a personalised page for the EDIH where the coordinator can add information such as its technological coverage, the services which the EDIH offers, news, events, collaborations with other organisations, customers and contact information. The mini site can be edited via the My EDIH space through the “My EDIH website” functionality.
4. Knowledge Hub
The Knowledge Hub is a section under the EDIH Network portal, that brings together a range of practical resources for all EDIH Network members.
- Guidance documents
This sub-section gathers a wide range of useful documentation of the EDIHs: KPI and Digital Maturity Assessment Tool resources, communication protocol, website related explanations but also legal and training/best practices documents.
- EDIH Academy
The EDIH Academy is a digital platform that provides access to a wide range of online training resources for all EDIH Network members. It contains ‘Train the Trainer’ courses developed by EDIHs for the EDIH Network, hosted on the EDIH Academy eLearning Platform (user registration/login is required to gain access) but also other relevant training courses produced by external experts.
- Thematic Working Groups
Dedicated pages for each existing Thematic Working Group are listed down under this sub-section. You will find contact details of the moderator team, a short description of the activities carried out in the WG, as well as relevant tools and documents (for logged-in users only).
- Digital projects and initiatives
This sub-section is a repository of projects, tools, and initiatives shaping the digital landscape in the EU. You are able to navigate through this page to discover valuable information and gain insights into the forefront of innovation.
- EDIH Network anual Summit 2023
The Annual Summit, 2023 edition, took place over two days, Wednesday 31st of May and Thursday 1st of June 2023 at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels. You can find the highlights here: Edih-network-annual-summit-2023.
- European Programmes
This sub-section hosts webinar recordings from different initiatives and projects shaping the digital landscape in the EU.
5. DTA Helpdesk
The DTA has a dedicated Helpdesk whereby on-demand support can be provided to EDIHs and registered users of the DTA website. The purpose of the Helpdesk is to offer advice and guidance, while providing support and answers relating to legal, operational, market & business, capacity-building, financing, and matchmaking & collaboration advice to EDIHs. The Helpdesk will also serve as the contact point for technical issues and queries.
To contact the Helpdesk, users can navigate to the “Contact” section of the EDIH Network platform. The DTA Helpdesk can be contacted via email (support@edihnetwork.eu). A response will usually be provided within a 72-hour timeframe, but more complex requests may take longer.
The Helpdesk will operate solely through English. Therefore, queries must be submitted in English to receive adequate responses.
6. Connecting with other EDIHs
EDIH collaboration can be initiated through the online EDIH catalogue, Working Groups, networking meetings/events, the EDIH mini-sites.
Collaboration between the EDIHs, DTA and other relevant European and international networks such as the EEN will take place largely through bi-annual “Networking the Networks” working group meetings, EU-level events and regional EDIH-EEN Cluster activities, whereby guidelines with a standardised templates for defining the regional EDIHs/EEN/Cluster service & cooperation agreements have been produced. Please check the guidelines available here: https://european-digital-innovation-hubs.ec.europa.eu/knowledge-hub/thematic-groups/networking-networks.
7. EDIH Working Groups
To support/facilitate concrete cooperation opportunities EDIHs with geographical proximity, EDIHs that have similar needs, goals and complementary capabilities, and/or EDIHs who operate in the same sector and/or with the same technology, will be clustered into sub-networks known as “Working Groups”.
The purpose of the Working Groups is to exchange information on good practices, lessons learned, success stories, solutions and project ideas, while also promoting collaboration opportunities.
Several Working Groups have already started their activities, while others will be launched soon. Guidelines for the Thematic Working Groups are available here.
If you would like to participate in any of these Thematic Working Groups, please contact the DTA at info@edihnetwork.eu, indicating which TWG you would like to join, your name, email address and EDIH.
8. DMAT (Digital Maturity Assessment Tool)
For more details, please take a look at the dedicated FAQ on the Digital Maturity Assessment Tool
The Digital Maturity Assessment Tool (DMAT) calculates a digital maturity score for the responding company/organisation overall, as well as by dimension and sub-dimension. Digital maturity is defined on the basis of a questionnaire assessing the 6 categories/dimensions: 1.) Digital business strategy; 2.) Digital readiness; 3.) Human-centric digitalisation; 4.) Data management; 5.) Automation & Artificial Intelligence; 6.) Green digitalisation.
The Digital Maturity Assessment Tool can be accessed via the MY EDIH space on the EDIH Network online portal. EDIHs must be logged in to see the MY EDIH space.
Yes. EDIHs and their customers can follow the steps outlined in the supporting materials on the Digital Maturity Assessment Tool.
In addition to the manual, the DTA offers an explanatory webinar outlining how to use the Digital Maturity Assessment Tool. The recorded webinar is available on the EDIH Network portal.
The Digital Maturity Assessment Tool will be available in all EU languages in which the EDIHs are operating, as well as selected languages from associated countries.
The translations of the Digital Maturity Assessment Tool questionnaire are available here for SMEs and here for PSOs.
EDIHs will use the Digital Maturity Assessment Tool to collect data from its customers (SMEs and public bodies) on their digital maturity before receiving the EDIH´s service(s), one year after, and three years after. In total, the Digital Maturity Assessment Tool will be employed three times for each service provided by an EDIH. This will enable the DTA to monitor the progress in digital maturity for each recipient of the EDIH support services.
The Digital Maturity Assessment Tool is designed to capture specific data which must be provided to the DTA by EDIHs. However, should an EDIH wish to capture further data, they may do so – so long as the data required by the Digital Maturity Assessment Tool is included.
9. KPI Tool
For more details, please take a look at the dedicated FAQ on the KPI tool.
The KPI tool is the part of the EDIH Platform where EDIHs can report on services provided to their SME or PSO customers. In addition to recording services like Test before invest, Training and skills development, Support to find investment and Networking and access to innovation ecosystems, EDIHs can also report their events and collaborations.
The KPI tool is accessed by any logged in user to the EDIH Platform. It is available in the My EDIH space, under “Performance Indicators”. Here, the user can report services for their respective EDIH.
Yes, the DTA has a host of materials which support EDIHs in the reporting of their services. They are available in the Knowledge Hub under Guidance Documents. These include a more in-depth FAQ specifically for the reporting of KPIs (see end of this section for link), a quick user guide and instructions, templates and examples for bulk upload of services. You can find them here. Furthermore, if you cannot find the answer to what you are looking for within these support documents, you can always contact us via the DTA Helpdesk and we will be willing to assist you.
Users can either record services directly in the platform by clicking “+Add new” and adding the services one by one, or they can use the CSV file in the guidance documents which allows them to bulk upload their services (see answer to 10.3 for a link to this). EDIHs can also download the data they have uploaded in Excel format.
The reporting of the EDIH activity is mandatory. Although the frequency of reporting is not predefined, we would encourage you to report data related to delivered services, collaborations and events continuously (and at least monthly). In any case, it is, mandatory to update the data in preparation for the review meetings at month 18 and 36, as stated in the Grant Agreement.
10. EDIH Badges
EDIHs which have completed a certain number of DMAs and uploaded a certain number of services in different categories will receive a Badge on their entry in the Catalogue. The number on these Badges corresponds to the number of DMAs performed or services of a certain category that have been uploaded.
EDIHs receive badges by registering services for customers under the Performance Indicators section of the MY EDIH space, as well as by registering DMAs in the same area. The number on the badge corresponds to the number of the kind of service provided by the EDIH or the number of DMAs performed.
11. Events
The DTA are planning to host a variety of online, hybrid and physical events. Once a year, the Annual Summit will take place in physical form with hybrid components. Online matchmaking/networking events, in addition to community-building/focused events are scheduled to take place each year. All events will be listed in the “Events” section of the EDIH Network portal.
12. Social media and communication activity
Initially, DTA communications were directed solely to EDIH coordinators. However, since the end of 2023, we have expanded our communication approach by also including DTA communication contacts in the CC line. These additional contacts are being gathered gradually, as we have reached out to EDIH coordinators to provide us with corresponding DTA communication contacts. This adjustment ensures a more comprehensive and streamlined dissemination of information among EDIHs. To inform us of your EDIH's communication contact, please get in touch with us via info@edihnetwork.eu.
You can find the guidelines on content sharing through the EDIH Network channels here.