Good practice:

Balearic Islands regional innovation ecosystem-DIHBAI-TUR

The Balearic Islands regional innovation ecosystem is composed of 6 public-private entities that represent the islands’ main innovation ecosystem actors where the Regional Government of the Balearic Islands is represented through different departments and bodies.
• The region of the Balearic Islands is way behind when it comes to innovation in comparison to other Spanish regions
• Digital transformation is a must in tourism and agri-food
•The region’s competitiveness greatly depends on its capacity to generate new digital skills and digitally empower companies
•The Balearic Islands have been the last region in Spain to set up a DIH.
DIHBAI-TUR has the following objectives:
1. To support and boost the digital transformation of companies, especially those in the tourism and agri-food sectors to successfully face global challenges
2. To boost a new data economy and introduce AI, helping to make companies a lot more competitive
3. To support the creation and growth of a sound digital business ecosystem
4.To increase ties with the research and academic communities and fill-in digital gaps.
The organisations involved, carry out activities that intend to fulfil theses objectives and work together under a same Governance Agreement. Different programmes and EU projects are looked for to accelerate the implementation of activities. The development of skills and the identification of talent are key activities.

Resources are needed for communication activities and overall management of the ecosystem. Other resources that are needed are those related to new services that are being designed by SMES .

- Establishment of DIHBAI-TUR
- Participation in national and international networks
- Identification of best digital practices in the frame of COVID19
- Identification and implementation of solutions in the agri-food and tourism sectors
- Public initiatives: development of a public map including information about delivery companies (food, goods, etc). Generation of a data base including digital solutions to fight COVID-19

The main challenge is to find resources to set up the DIH and start implementing activities. The generation of awareness towards the need of cooperation it is an on-going challenge.

Our good practice is easily transferable to any other region, especially those that depend a great deal on a single sector (such as tourism in this case) and shows how digital skills and digital transformation can support the development of new sectors as well as the generation of new business models.
The key success factors are based on the involvement of key entities but especially on, key people. Those who are able to work, engage and create, despite the challenges and resistance they may encounter.
Another key success factor is related to joining forces with two sectors as different as tourism and agri-food.
Cooperation with the key stakeholders at local level is important to improve the ecosystem. But it is also important to work with networks at national and international level to learn and share.