The Business Accelerator in Critical Technologies and Intelligent Mobility - Digital Innovation Hub - IDEA 4.0, one of the actions proposed within the Alentejo Action Plan, was fully approved in August 2019. This results from the long-term strategy outlined by ADRAL - Regional Development Agency of Alentejo with a view to contribute to the establishment of a robust regional innovation ecosystem capable of generating relevant increases in competitiveness in the business fabric that comprises it.
Based on the experience developed during the activities of managing spaces to boost entrepreneurship and innovation, at regional, national and international level, ADRAL acquired a vast and solid knowledge about the implementation and development of entrepreneurship initiatives and acceleration of companies and ideas. During the analysis process, serious gaps were identified in the access of entrepreneurial initiatives or business product development to the following means:
• Innovation policies
• Innovation activities applied to product development;
• Prototyping of new products and continuous quality improvement processes;
This action thus intends to unify in a digital innovation center, the technical support services, the ADRAL entrepreneurship spaces and to foster a permanent integration with key partners, at the level of the HEIs, of the Municipalities and services of the PA, but also of anchor companies , leaders in their areas, who can contribute with challenges and projects for the acceleration and implementation of projects that generate value for the territory
The Business Accelerator Idea 4.0, intends to constitute itself as an Innovation Hub (DIH - Digital Innovation Hub) aligned with the strategy of the European Union's Digital Single Market, for digitalization of the local and regional entrepreneurial and business ecosystem, contributing to create a more favorable to the digital revolution in terms of industry and services.
Based on proximity infrastructures, the intention is to provide access to the latest knowledge, specialized consultancy, prototypes, mentoring, experimental laboratories and live validation laboratories in a real context, as well as integration into strategic partnerships and supply chains.
It is an intervention to start during the year 2020, and to be carried out in 24 months, which corresponds to a total eligible investment of € 900,000.
