March 24th, as a part of the DigiBEST project, in the frame of the 6th Study Visit Online, project partner countries will hear encouraging Austria’s examples implementing digital transformation process in business. Small and medium business (SME) nowadays meets different kind of challenges due to the digitalization all over the world. DigiBEST project through different good examples encourages SMEs to realize the innovation and growth potential that digitalization holds for them.

Participants will gain insights in the usage of digitalization during the shortage of skilled workers. The Austrian Research and Promotion Agency will present the experience of Digital ProBootcamps & Digital Innovation Hubs, which addresses the development of digital skills, the support of digital further training to master the challenges of advancing digitalization (4-week bootcamps). Already 55 employees from 34 companies participated in the bootcamps.

A remarkable good practice is being carried out by Vienna High Tech Incubator INiTS. It has established itself as the high-tech business incubator of the City of Vienna and one of the best academic incubators worldwide. INiTS was founded in 2002 by the University of Vienna, the Vienna University of Technology and the Vienna Business Agency with the aim of promoting the exploitation of R&D results in the academic environment through spin-offs and startups. As a University Business Incubator (UBI), INiTS has been repeatedly recognised by UBI Global as one of the world’s best university incubators since 2013 and is number one in the German-speaking world.

Austria currently is also working on the new funding program - Industry 4.0, which will not only focus on supporting digitalization, but will also include other supporting modules, like how to integrate safety and cybersecurity issues, new/digital ways of working or how to use digitalization to support inclusion and gender topics. Participants will gain information about what should be considered when constructing new funding program to support digitalization in a sustainable way.

Experts and digital transformation participants will unite in the round table discussion sharing different ideas and suggestions on what to consider with digital future new good practices.

Participants also will hear a presentation from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs on the Digital Austria Initiative from the policy maker side.