DEVISE partners from Regional Government of Cantabria (Spain), Derry City and Strabane District Council (Northern Ireland) and Northern and Western Regional Assembly and ERNACT (Ireland) have participated on the 10th of March in the ‘Derry and Strabane Enterprise Week’ through an online workshop entitled ‘Digital Transformation during COVID-19’ hosted by project partners in Derry. The three partners have presented digital transformation recovery and support schemes delivered across their regions in response to challenges and opportunities faced by SMEs during COVID-19.
DEVISE Project Leader and ERNACT Programme Manager Daniela Copaci welcomed the attendees and made a brief introduction to the project, including an update about the additional activities that partners have recently completed, the COVID-19 Regional Context Assessment in relation to digital transformation of targeted SMEs and some successful COVID-19 good practices identified during the last months.
The first partner taking the floor was Jorge Muyo, Innovation, Technology Development and Industrial Entrepreneurship General Manager at the Regional Government of Cantabria in Spain. Jorge introduced the regional needs for the digitalisation of SMEs after COVID-19. He presented Cantabria as a digital region with three main areas focused on the regional strategy: Connectivity, Industry 4.0, education and health. “SMEs are interested about the participation in the programme and we have seen very good projects and good contacts between technology providers”, he mentioned. Afterwards, our partner presented some of the best practices at regional level: Technology enablers, Technology Audits, Technology Skills and the current Regional Action Plan that Cantabria is developing within DEVISE, ‘Targeting Less Innovation Aware (LIA) SMEs to Upgrade Digital Skills (LIA UPGRADE)'.
Jorge continued with the implementation of a digital strategy, including, governance, a plan for effective operational governance, putting the users in focus, considering the different audience(s) when communicating, proceed with informing and building partnerships along the implementation of the strategy. He concluded by giving some recommendations when developing a digital strategy for the public sector and for start-ups and entrepreneurs.
Afterwards, Patrick Devine, DEVISE Project Officer at Northern & Western Regional Assembly took the floor to present Enterprise Ireland’s ‘Digitalisation Voucher Scheme’. “COVID-19 has accelerated the adaption of digital across all aspects of business, this move will be a requisite for recovery from the impact on Covid-19 and vital to preserve the continuity of economic activity”, he explained. The €9k Digitalisation Voucher will provide strategic intervention for companies to work with third party consultants to assist companies identify where they are on their digital business journey and develop a digital adaption plan based on their identified need. It may be used to obtain digital strategy, technical and/or advisory service from approved providers.
Eligible projects must complete the digital ready scorecard from Enterprise Ireland. The voucher is open to all Enterprise Ireland clients who employ 10 or more non-Enterprise Ireland client companies that operate within the manufacturing or internationally traded service sectors who employed 10 or more full time people.
Last but not least, Tony Monaghan, Regeneration Manager at Derry City and Strabane District Council, presented COVID-19 recovery and revitalisation good practices, how regeneration encouraged the safe return to town centres to drive footfall and support SMEs. The lockdown in early 2020 brought uncertainty for town and city centres: empty streets, closed shops and less vehicular movements. The response to this situation focused on promoting town and city centres by giving priority to pedestrians, road closures, pop-up cycle routes… Tony explained that the objectives were to take some temporary interventions such as pedestrian friendly streets, new public civic spaces, support businesses, promote social distancing and supporting business and consumer confidence although some challenges needed to be faced too: legislation, funding, changing COVID-19 guidance, timescales, procurement and buy-in.
Tony shared the implementation phases of the ‘Upper Walled City’ in Derry, the project overview and some key considerations (budget, time, consultation and traffic flows, among others). Between the lessons learned, he highlighted the importance of public realms and spaces for businesses and citizens, ‘can-do’ approach adopted by all partners and positive collaboration across all the stakeholders involved in the project.
