The digital transformation of EU business and society presents enormous growth potential for Europe. It is estimated that digital technologies, such as Big Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) or the Internet of Things (IoT), have the potential to add 1.5 million jobs to the EU’s digital economy, and that SMEs can grow two to three times faster when they integrate digital technologies into their business models. European industry can build on its strengths in advanced digital technologies and its strong presence in traditional sectors to seize the range of opportunities that technologies like IoT, big data, advanced manufacturing, robotics, 3D printing, blockchain technologies and AI offer. This will enable the European industry to capture a share in the emerging markets for the products and services of the future. For SMEs in particular, digital technologies provide an unmissable opportunity to enter the market with specialised, differentiated and smart products and services.
Nevertheless, EU businesses are not currently taking full advantage of these advanced technologies or the innovative business models offered by the collaborative economy. Even though SMEs are highly sensitized for the importance and the potential of digitalisation for their business, they usually lack orientation, know-how and hands-on solutions in line with their current business. In addition, digitalisation services in too many occasions do not take into account the rapid changing innovation ecosystem and the emerging of new technologies. This change requires a modernisation effort to ensure that Europe’s industry is well equipped to overcome the challenges it faces and to stay competitive in global markets. These challenges include the need to develop a truly digital entrepreneurial culture and to stimulate investments in new technologies.
In order to cope with this new environment, it becomes necessary to set the stage for advanced and tailor-made digitalisation services to be provided by innovation agencies for approaching clients with better value propositions that address their actual needs in terms of digital transformation. For that purpose, a digital transformation journey, as part of the company's overall journey to growth, will empower them to better face the challenges of the Single Market. In particular, needs assessment tools should be in place in order to recognise the client’s digitalisation potential and to be able to offer them special advisory services.
The objective of DigiJourney is to enable the participating innovation agencies to exchange knowledge, know-how, and good practices on advanced methodologies and tools for digitalisation assessment to SMEs and provision of customised support services. In particular, the project aims to cover peer learning activities for three advanced digitalisation approaches, which are based on initiatives and tools for an in-depth and contextual assessment of client needs, and the design of a digitalisation journey for SMEs with better value propositions that address their actual needs in terms of digital transformation and allows them to increase their competitiveness thanks to a tailor-made digitalisation support based on digital solutions in line with their current business.
