Good practice:

Digital transformation offices (OTDs)

- What is the problem addressed and the context of the practice?
Looking into Spain’s digitisation development of the last years, there has been a constant improvement and Spain has surpassed the EU average. In particular, Spain has advanced in terms of digital public services and e-government and the integration of digital technology. However, one of the biggest challenges remains reaching SMEs and support their digitisation development.
- How does the practice reach its objectives and how it is implemented?
The OTD objective is to promote the creation and consolidation of digital transformation offices to disseminate the need and advantages of the digitalisation process of Spanish companies. It aims at strengthening the ecosystem of support for SMEs in ICT matters by offering dynamization and support services for their digital transformation, thus helping them to improve and optimise their processes and through this their productivity and competitiveness.
There are two services offered:
• Support: Attention and resolution of consultations on solutions and/or Methodologies to improve the management of the company through the use of the ICT.
• Diffusion: Collective actions to communicate the advantages and/or methodologies in the implementation of technological solutions.
- Who are the main stakeholders and beneficiaries of the practice?
service to the sector to which they are directed. Within each Spanish region there are a maximum of 1 OTD per sector.

The budget amounts EUR 5 million and aids of EUR 100000 and 200000 per office to develop the action plan. OTD is co-financed by the managing entity with a minimum of 20% of the eligible budget.
It is financed by the ERDF (EUR 5 million) and by Operational Program for the Smart Growth

Red.es has selected 28 entities in Spain (2 in Granada: Cluster of Sustainable Construction and Cluster of Technology and Biotechnology).
From March 2019 to March 2020, both clusters are organizing more than 240 events and activities focused on dissemination of the advantages of digitalization for SME’s.
The Digital Economy and Society Index (elaborated by the European Commission) for 2018 report highlights the work carries out by Red.es with programs such as Digital Transformation Offices.

This good practice is easily transferable to any region or EU state member. The entity that transfers the funds must open a public call addressed to the sector associations and professional colleges.
Professional associations and colleges attend this call by submitting an application that includes an Action Plan with the actions to be carried out. The eligible actions are:
a) Dissemination actions: To communicate to a group of SMEs users the advantages or necessary methodologies for the implementation of technological solutions.
It also contemplates the realization of actions promoting digital entrepreneurship.
These actions can be developed in the form of conferences or seminars in order to spread the advantages of using technologies and encourage their adoption.
b) Supporting actions: To provide a service of attention to SMEs to solve questions about solutions and / or methodologies to improve the management of the company through the use of ICT.