D3T tested the capability of a data-driven approach in providing more effective support to companies and in performing more efficiently in delivering services.
Data-driven innovation is a key driver of growth and jobs that can significantly boost European competitiveness in the global market. The economic impact of data is huge: the capability to analyse and learn from data is rapidly becoming a key ingredient in business success and government efficiency.
Digital Transformation (DT) is found at the intersection of people and technology, its goal is to create a better, smarter, faster business that can better anticipate and meet its customers’ needs. The EU Digital Transformation Scoreboard 2018 positions Italy in the middle of the European Countries. The country scores above the EU average in one out of seven dimensions: investments and access to finance, but even here, it scores only 2% above the EU average. So, in terms of digital transformation and entrepreneurial culture, the country scores somewhat lower, leaving room for further improvement. Italy’s core challenges lie in the fields of e-leadership, digital skills and changes in the ICT start-up environment. The country performs 22%, 19% and 14% below the EU average respectively in these three areas. In fact, the “Industria 4.0” National Plan represents a major opportunity for all companies that are ready to take advantage of the unprecedented incentives offered by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Plan provides for a wide array of consistent and complementary measures promoting investment in innovation and competitiveness by supporting investments, digitalisation of industrial processes, improvement in workers' productivity, development of new skills, new products and new processes.
Innovation agencies support the companies and entrepreneurs in accelerating and improving their businesses through different service. This, together with the fact that Data is one of the core elements of a digitally intelligent company and brand, inspired Torino Wireless (TOWL) to define the scope of the D3T project. Data is mainly linked to its application within companies and business, but it also can be applied to the core services of innovation agencies to improve their operations and enhance the service they provide to its “customers”: the companies, specially the Small and Medium ones. Given the current relevance and interest of Digital Transformation at a regional, national and European level, TOWL decided to enhance its current DT service by implementing a data-driven approach to it. Hence, the overall objective of the D3T project is to validate and analyse the impact of the implementation of a data-driven approach to improve a DT support scheme.
