The key objective of the BOWI project was to create a DIH widening network that supports the collaboration of new DIHs in regions where the SAE (
https://smartanythingeverywhere.eu/(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie)) and I4MS (
https://i4ms.eu/(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie)) technologies are underrepresented (widening hubs) and DIHs that are well established and highly experienced in these technologies (mature hubs).
BOWI project was addressing the challenges created by the lack of knowledge, expertise and other capacities regarding SAE/I4MS technologies in European industries during the past 7 years. BOWI supported widening hubs and SMEs/Mid-Caps by uptaking innovative SAE and I4MS related technologies, with the help provided by mature DIHs and the mechanism that work as a tool in establishing a sustainable connection and collaboration between all stakeholders mentioned above.
BOWI pursued the following objectives within the project:
1. Establish an active DIH (BOWI) widening community in which the emerging widening hubs can access the pool of expertise available in mature hubs in order to set up collaboration in application experiments with SMEs. This includes participation from mature hubs, investors and regions, as well as widening hubs.
2. Develop a long-term sustainable blended finance accelerator programme to enable support for widening hubs on their journey to become a high-quality boosters of the uptake of SAE/I4MS technologies in their regions.
3. Increase sustainability of widening hubs by improving their business and technology services, as well as by creating pan-EU collaborations with mature DIHs in other regions.
4. Enhance the capacity of taking up SAE/I4MS technologies in regions that are currently underrepresented by conducting 4 technology-transfer experiments with each selected widening hub.
5. Demonstrate a structural collaboration between widening hubs and mature hubs by showing replicable cross-border widening approach. The widening hubs will improve their services to the industry not only by developing business models for importing/exporting services, but also by aligning activities in both hubs. This is achieved through combining concrete experiments and creating sustainable corridors between regions.
In summary, the specific objectives of BOWI were:
● Establishing an active DIH widening community with 25 widening hubs and 20 mature hubs as active members, and 450 organizations as active users of the community collaboration portal. Sustainable widening collaboration business model is validated through continuous long-term blended finance accelerator programme.
● Ensuring that 15 widening hubs offering I4MS/SAE technology for SMEs/Mid-Caps in their regions, have developed business models and business services portfolios as well as secure additional regional funding.
● Conducting 60 technology transfer experiments supporting SMEs/Mid-Caps to take up innovative widening hub SAE/I4MS technologies in their regions, assisted by mature hubs in other regions.
