Yesterday, the European Digital Innovation Hub Ostrava (EDIH OVA) project was sent to the European Commission. This project was developed and will be implemented in cooperation with VŠB-TUO and MSIC Ostrava, which are members of the consortium of this hub.
EDIH OVA is designed to accelerate the digitalisation of companies and public organizations in the region and at the same time to offer an attractive opportunity to use the unique interconnection of digital infrastructure and know-how to interested companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises in the EU. The technological specialization of EDIH OVA is tied to the core facility of High-Performance Computing (HPC), complemented by an experimental industrial testbed. These expert and technological capacities will be primarily aimed at testing and experimentation of challenging tasks for cases in sectors related to the implementation of the Industry 4.0 concept. This “technological” DNA of the project is further naturally determined by the industrial character and history of the Moravian-Silesian Region, where EDIH OVA will mainly operate.
In order to ensure that the level of digitalisation in companies and public organizations is increased, the project includes a comprehensive offer of individual services and other development activities in line with the required functions of the European Digital Innovation Hub. The aim is to cover a wide range of stakeholders with regard to their level of digital readiness, from entities not yet determined to exploit the potential of digitalisation to entities ready to use the most advanced digital techniques, including HPC. Therefore, the scope of the project will also focus on the implementation of a range of activities, from awareness and activation activities to highly specialised support using state-of-the-art research and testing infrastructures. One of the pillars on which the project is built is the emphasis on identifying the level of digital readiness and supporting the preparation and implementation of key digital changes.
Implementation of EDIH OVA will provide a significant upgrade – in terms of both quantity and quality – the activities that this hub, consisting of a consortium of two main entities promoting digitalisation in the region, has been gradually developing for several years. In this context, it is necessary to highlight the political support for this project at the regional level of the MSR, which is reflected, among other things, in the funding of some past and future EDIH OVA activities.
An important ambition of EDIH OVA is also to become an inspirational and useful hub within the networks to which EDIH OVA is or will be linked ((sub)network(s) of EDIHs, EEN, etc.). This ambition builds on the existing activities of both members of the consortium and their role within the regional, national, and European innovation ecosystem and is reflected, among others, in the expected share of clients outside the MSR region.
The implementation of the EDIH OVA project is planned for the period 2023-2025 with a budget of approximately EUR 3 mil.