Stena Industry Innovation Hub at Chalmers  (SII-Hub) is a Digital Innovation Hub – a Swedish testbed for acceleration of industrial digitalisation, part of the two Governmental initiatives for indutrial digitalisation, Produktion2030 and the Smart Industry. SII-Hub consists of the physical infrastructure SII-Lab and its supporting organisational infrastructure.

The mission of Stena Industry Innovation Hub at Chalmers is to provide a platform for research, innovation, demonstration, education, and training in the area of industrial digitalisation. SII-Hub is an open platform for large industries, SMEs, and society. In addition to industry you will also find collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, and educators. Teachers may come from kindergartens as well as high schools or universities.

The SII-hub provides access to a full range of competencies at Chalmers University of Technology. This includes Chalmers' entrepreneurship, incubator, and venture capital organisation - Chalmers Ventures. SII-hub also collaborates with national government funding agencies, regional government, industry associations, and unions. Chalmers Smart Industry Hub provides services for:

Research, Innovation, and Demonstration
Education and training 
Small end Medium-sized Enterprises (SME)
Testbed for industrial digitalisation
5G digital infrastructure
Makerspace
Entrepreneurship support

  Digital technologies.

Speedhub is a no profit entity performing networking, matchmaking, brokerage and dissemination activities.

The aim of Speedhub is to help companies to become more competitive by improving their business/production processes as well as products and services by means of digital technology.

It works with a consolidated network of local, national and international partners in the field of research, logistics, technology transfer that allows the creation of “tailored made” services.

Among others areas of intervention, Speedhub has its own specialization on industrial logistics and supply chain.

Main activities can be grouped as follows:

1. Business development
•     business mentoring
•     envisioning and strategy development
•     Legal and Fiscal Support
•     access to finance

•     matchmaking and brokering

2. Skills and digital culture creation
•     Training and awareness

•     business cases
•     visits, seminars, events 

3. Innovation activities
•     access to specialist expertise and infrastructure

•     innovation scouting
•     collaborative R&D, Prototyping

•     digital Maturity Assessment Digital technologies.

SpectroNet is a digital solution provider for the organization of regional, national and international collaborations between companies and / or research institutions and their customers in the field of Photonic Measurement Engineering for Quality Assurance (PMQ). The SpectroNet partner develop and/or apply photonic measurement engineering for quality assurance. The purpose of SpectroNet is to support the economic, scientific and technical interests of its partners for their sustainable growth. The non-profit goal of SpectroNet is the sustainable growth of our partners, to transport research results from the universities into the companies, to further network the local players in the field of optics and to make the business location Thuringia interesting for the industry worldwide. Digital technologies.

Space53 is a public-private partnership – a digital innovation hub for national and international organizations. With an airport in the immediate vicinity, a safety campus and a large number of special indoor and outdoor areas for research and testing with unmanned systems of all sizes, Space53 is unique in Western Europe. In addition, it collaborates closely with research and education institutes such as the University of Twente, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, ROC van Twente, NLR and reknown industrial parties like Clear Flight Solutions, Demcon, Robor and Drone Flight Company.

Space53 facilitates the complete innovation process of unmanned systems by providing access to everything that is needed: 

Technological, economical, societal and legal expertise
Office space and technical facilities
Indoor and outdoor testing and experimenting areas
Educational and training facilities
All emergency services
Possibility to simulate lifelike situations 
Necessary permits that are optimally aligned with the existing and future legislation
‘Launching customers’, such as the Province of Overijssel, Veiligheidsregio Twente and the Municipality of Enschede as living labs to try out smart ideas in real life
Digital technologies.

The Southeast Digital Innovation Hub, or DigIhub, is a non-for-profit organization established by representatives of the public, private, non-governmental and the educational sectors in the South East Region of Bulgaria (BG34). The SouthEast Digital Innovation Hub provides business enterprises with up-to-date information, expert assistance and access to technology for testing digital innovations. It also helps to carry out and conduct experiments with products, processes or business models.
Our mission is to facilitate the effective transition to digitalisation of the working processes, to support the representatives of tahe business in the region for the introducing and/or implementation of digital technologies and intelligent systems, and for offering of services with higher quality. 

DigIhub seeks significant changes in the field of digitizing industry in Bulgarian companies with focus on the South-East Region based businesses, thus increasing their competitiveness and added value. DigIhub has the ambition to become the heart of the innovation ecosystem of the SouthEast Region by providing the following services to SMEs:

Awareness creation

Ecosystem building, networking, brokerage

Visioning and strategy development for businesses

Collaborative research

Concept validation and prototyping

Testing and validation

Pre-competitive series production

Incubator/accelerator support

Market intelligence

Access to the centers of competences

Mediation services

Aid for funding

Mentoring

Education and skills development

DigIhub enables the trans-sectoral joint initiatives, workshops, and innovative start-ups. It contributes to the realization of joint projects for digital transformation of the business, which boosts the technological and innovative potential of the region for providing of a wide range of services in the area of tourism, cultural identity, logistic and mobility.

Objectives:

To support the implementation of the European Digital single market strategy at local and regional levels;

To create a service portfolio connected with the digitalization, that will be provided through the established partnership networks;

To perform assessment of the stakeholders’ digitalisation potential; 

To offer affordable solutions and a digital platform for small and medium business management with free access to optional modules to facilitate the digital transition;

To advise on individual solutions and support the innovation or transformation of existing processes through digital technologies;

To support the knowledge and technology transfer for effective technological development; 

To enable an opportunity for creation and enhancement of the digital potential of the business in a specialized Certification Centre.

Capabilities:

Sensors, actuators, MEMS, NEMS, RF

Photonics, electronic and optical functional materials

Robotics and autonomous systems

Internet of Things

Artificial Intelligence and cognitive systems

Location based technologies

Cyber security

Data mining, big data, database management

Augmented and virtual reality, visualization

Simulation and modelling

Software as a service and service architectures

Cloud computing

Additive manufacturing

ICT management, logistics and business systems

Internet services (e.g. web development, web production, design, networking, and e-commerce)

Management board:

Ina Agafonova - Board member
Ina Agafonova is Executive Director of Digitalization and Integration of New Technologies Foundation (DINT). She is an experienced executive officer with a demonstrated history of working in the renewables & environmental industry. Strong entrepreneurship professional with a master degree in International Economic Relations and second master in Ecology. Skilled in negotiation, business planning, strategic planning and business development.

Prof. Sotir Sotirov PhD - Board member
Councilor in the Municipal Council – Burgas and Chairman of the Standing Committee on Science, Innovation and Operational Programs, Vice Rector for International Relations, Head of Intelligent Systems Laboratory Prof. Assen Zlatarov University.

Petko Georgiev - Chairman
Petko Georgiev is the initiator and chairman of the ICT Cluster – Burgas. He has been working in the field of information technology for nearly 10 years. Part of Cluster’s successful initiatives are providing free training for students and IT talents and attracting some of the largest IT companies in the city of Burgas. He is responsible for the creation of startup ecosystem and modern business and conference conditions in the region.

Founders:

Burgas Municipality

Burgas is located in southeastern Bulgaria. It has a modern telecommunications network and offers service at the lowest salaries throughout the European Union. The port city with a population of about 207 thousands residents is very attractive for firms engaged in information technology. Burgas Municipality is co-organizer of several Hackathons, free Summer IT Academies for schoolboys/schoolgirls and students and other educational formats and in all the major events related to promoting and development of the ICT sector in Burgas. Thanks to it's active and successful work supporting of Digital and entrepreneurial ecosystem the City of Burgas has received the award of the Bulgarian Outsourcing Association for a Technological City of the year 2018. 

More information: https://burgas.bg/

 

 

ICT Cluster Burgas - The digital ecosystem of Burgas.

Cooperation of 30+ Burgas ICT companies and organisations with mission to develop the ICT industry, new business opportunities through cross-border, cross-industry and cross-cluster collaboration.

ICT Cluster is actively working to promote, support and develop cooperation between all businesses, universities, schools and government institutions in the field of information and communication technologies to create favorable conditions for their development, enhance their competitiveness at national and international level.

More information: http://ictc-burgas.org/en

 

Industrial and Logistic Park - Burgas

The main idea of creating the company is the construction of an internal technical infrastructure of distinct industrial sites located on the territory of the "PZ SEVER" of Burgas for the purpose of improvement the business climate and attracting local and foreign investments in the municipality.

More information: https://www.industrialpark-burgas.bg/en

 

Digitalization and integration of new technologies Foundation (DINT Foundation) 

The foundation was created in public benefit in the beginning of 2018 with the aim to support and develop digital ecosystems and entrepreneurship in Bulgaria. With mission to carry out a total digital transformation in Bulgaria in the forthcoming decade.
More information: http://www.dint.digital/en

 

University - “Prof. D-r. Assen Zlatarov” 

Is the only state university in Southeast Bulgaria. It was founded on 6th October 1963 by Decree № 162 of the Council of Ministers as a Higher Chemico-technological institute “Prof. D-r. Assen Zlatarov” which connected forever it with the name of its patron.  “Prof. D-r. Assen Zlatarov” University was ratified as such by a resolution of the National Assembly in 1995.

“Prof. D-r. Assen Zlatarov” University was institutionally accredited by resolution №16 of 17.05. 2007 of the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency  for the term of 6 years.

More information: https://www.btu.bg/index.php/en/ 

 

Burgas Free University 

Was established with an Act of The Great National Assembly on 18 September 1991, and is one of the first non-state universities in the country.

The University is accredited by the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency and is certified under the International Quality Standard ISO 9001:2008.

More information: https://www.bfu.bg/en 

 

Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is the leading scientific, spiritual and expert center of Bulgaria. It conducts research, training and activities of national and international importance and solves problems related to the development of Bulgarian society and state. The Academy has a consistent policy for the development of science and innovation as a condition for economic progress in the country. It is an active participant in the European Research Area. The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences conducts scientific research in accordance with universal values, national traditions and interests. It participates in the development of world science and helps to multiply the spiritual and material wealth of the nation.

More information: http://www.bas.bg/

Governmental bodies:

Governorship of Burgas - https://www.bs.government.bg/en  
Municipality of Burgas – https://www.burgas.bg/en/index/index
Bulgarian Small and Medium Entreprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA) - https://www.sme.government.bg/en/?page_id=2001
Industrial park - https://www.industrialpark-burgas.bg/en
Regional Development Agency Burgas Digital technologies.

South Bohemian Digi Hub is a non profit DIH that aims to support processes dealing with gradual digital transformation of regional companies, and simultaneously support for building digital competencies at schools of all grades, and support of follow-up and long-life learning with regards to development of digital skills. South Bohemian Science and Technology Park is a founding member of the DIH together with Technology Centre in Písek.

The DIH offers opportunities for further development for technology services providers, while to demanding subjects (typically SMEs), whose capacities are insufficient to deal with their issues of digitising production and processess, the hub provides complex know-how and tailor-made services solving their needs.

Activities of the DIH are:

Creating network of service providers - building functional collaborative grouping of various regional subjects, which are able to offer relatively complex services for digital transformation of processes, products and services
Test before invest - AI, RPA, VR, AR
Consultancy services on digitisation including fund raising
Education in digitisation
Promotion and marketing

South Bohemian Science and Technology Park is 100% owned by the region of South Bohemia dealing with non-profit supportive activities regarded to development of the regional economic, and particularly innovation ecosystem. Digital technologies.

SMILE-DIH is a no profit entity performing networking, matchmaking, brokerage and dissemination activities. The aim of SMILE-DIH is to help companies to become more competitive by improving their business/production processes as well as products and services by means of digital technology. SMILE-DIH deals with the promotion of digital manufactoring trasformation towards Industry 4.0 approach and the Value Chain processes overall.   In particular the main activities are: Awareness Dissemination (Meeting, Workshop, etc.)  Supporting activities to industrial companies for Industry 4.0-based project implementation  Support access to tax breaks provided by Piano Industria 4.0  Supporting activities for assessing digital readiness  Supporting activities to facilitate manufacturing companies access to  innovation regional ecosystem  Design and delivery of training initiatives  Coordination activities for implementing I4.0-based factories    The vision of the hub is the achievement of waste free «Lean and Smart factories», where the digital and the physical words are completely connected, data are always available and performance deviations can be monitored in real time and addressed immediately. In this cyber-physical system, people do not waste their time, but can devote themselves, completely, to high-value stimulating activities, delegating calculations and routine tasks to robots and computers. Indeed, in case of problems, the system promptly informs human experts and suggests possible solutions, which can be simulated, tested and finally assessed. The mission of the hub is threefold: Make it understood the importance of ICT technologies as the key element to carry on, conjointly, product and process innovation; To support SMEs in their pathway toward an Industry 4.0 status, through the preliminary analysis of internal processes and the selection, implementation, integration and customization of emerging and/or innovating ICT technologies; To develop a fully integrated «Digitally Enabled Lean Toolkit» for operational excellence and performance optimization, especially in MTO, ATO and ETO SMEs. Digital technologies.

"SMart Industry Hub – SMIH” is an industrial cluster consisting of over 20 Croatian and Slovenian companies (18 SMEs of which 3 start-ups and 1 research organisation and 1 ecosystem partner) that have very significant expertise in mechanical and electrical engineering, information technology as well as in the so-called fourth-generation industrial revolution. The cluster has existed for 10 years and has operated under the name “3D grupa – klaster 3D tehnologija”. With the development of 3D technologies, there was a need to join forces in order to ensure a more rapid adoption and application of 3D technologies in industry and science.

The primary mission of HUB is to increase the competitiveness of local and regional industries by promoting the use of concurrent 3D technologies in their business processes and to provide support and know-how in the following areas:

Providing access to 3D technology and enabling companies to test the technology on resolving their problems
Providing quality and structured 3D industry-related information to regional companies and institutions
Ensuring support for implementation of 3D technologies in business processes of the regional industry
Digital transformation
Business innovation and strategies development
Prototyping
Education coupled with mentoring
Linking regional industry with international partners
R&D activities
B&B networking

The overarching goal of SMIH is to enable cooperation of all key stakeholders of the HUB that contribute to strengthening the industrial potential and competitiveness of domestic industry. Through this collaboration we aim to develop investments in new technologies, innovative products with export potential and high added value. The SMIH's founders and members are constantly working on improving the existing infrastructure as well as building a new one.

At the present moment, SMIH represents a modern technologically advanced "HUB" providing answers to most questions related to the industry in a broader sense.

SMIH brings together more than 40 external experts in terms of support for research and development activities in 5 areas of industry and science: natural, technical, biomedical, biotechnical, and architecture and construction.

HUB works passionately on the identification of new products within its ranks, as well as their development and commercialization. It also works on research, development and innovation programs and projects of its members.

Through our non-profit activities, we strive to share and distribute the valuable knowledge residing within the HUB network through regular free seminars on 3D technologies, dissemination of information and transfer global industry trends to regional business and educational entities. Furthermore, the Cluster promotes assemblies, exhibitions and similar events and arranges visits to professional fairs.

In order to achieve its goals and to be able to complete set tasks, the HUB established a regional reference centre for 3D technologies, where we gathered a significant amount of various equipment from the field of 3D technologies for use in everyday industry projects, for educational purposes and for raising technology awareness.

At the same time, SMIH enables young engineers to get acquainted with the equipment and gain realistic work experience.

SMIH has leveraged its broad experience in the field of 3D technologies, to build a tailor-made educational framework. The entire range of industrial occupations, from machine operators, technicians to engineers is driven in pursuit of new knowledge and skills necessary to respond to the challenges of the modern industry. Within our daily work, we are involved with the most relevant companies from various industry sectors: automotive, aerospace, consumer goods, power generation, transportation, medical and dental. As these companies will benefit the most from finding skilled employees to engage, we are using our network to communicate all benefits of the project and get all stakeholders involved.

SMIH – in cooperation with academia and “Callidus, Institute for adult education” established the „3D Academy for 3D Technologies” which currently operates in West Balkan region focusing on transferring knowledge and skills required in today’s labour market. The programmes of 3D Academy are accredited by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports and the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad. The HUB has also established strong connections with regional Universities.

 

Finally, SMIH offers digital transformation, business innovation and strategies development, prototyping, education, mentoring, and B2B connection, assistance in the acceptance and implementation of cutting-edge technologies and trends, support in corporate innovation management and integration into the tech community. Digital technologies.

The Smart City Tech partnership is a European Strategic Cluster Partnership and currently consists of 9 organisations from 6 regions in Europe. The partnership aims at increasing competitiveness of EU companies by supporting the development of smart systems enabled solutions for urban areas through the implementation of a joint cooperation agenda. The joint cooperation agenda consists out of 6 action lines: 1. Developing a joint vision on smart systems for urban areas which will lead to concentrating available resources on those activities which can create the most impact for urban areas. 2. Building a vibrant and global ecosystem of companies, policy makers, academia, investors and citizens ready to engage for joint projects. 3. Developing global innovation capacities which allows for efficient development of new smart systems solutions for urban areas. 4. Stimulating active collaboration between stakeholders on concrete projects leading to added value for all ecosystem stakeholders involved. 5. Mobilizing funding, either public or private money, as key resource to drive SmartCityTech projects forward. 6. Going beyond Europe and collaborate on opportunities on other continents. The partnership focuses on solutions with regard to mobility, environment and living in urban areas.

The physical presence is set in the office of the secretariat, currently in GAIA's office. Furthermore, each partner has is office in the respective regions. Digital technologies.

SmartAgri is a joint effort by Agroväst, Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) and Science Park Skövde with the aim to accelerate the digitalisation of the agricultural sector in West Sweden. 

The primary target group is small and medium-sized tech-companies developing new smart solutions for the agrifood sector.

SmartAgri provides services within the following areas:

Seminars, study-visits and workshops to build networks, as well as create awareness and disseminate knowledge and best-practises. Eg the seminar series "The digitized animal".
Businessconcept development and evaluation based on consumer needs and market intelligence
Knowlegde support in choosing the adequate technology for a specific solution
Mediate contacts and facilitate workshops to establish new cooporations needed for idea-, concept-  and product development.
Access to finance and funding by identifying funding opportunities, making projects and companies "investment ready", applications writing and arrangement of the event AgriVenture Sweden. 
Provide access to relevant test and demonstration facilities at universitites, institutes, natural resource schools, farmers etc

Agroväst is the coordinator of SmartAgri. Agroväst is a non-profit cluster managemant organisation for agriculture in West Sweden, working as a project arena and facilitator for collaborations between research and the farming sector. Agroväst participates as DIH in the Scandinavian cluster of the Horizon 2020 SmartAgriHubs project.

RISE is an independant, state-owned research institute, with 2800 employees. RISE offers expertise and testbeds and demonstrations environments for future-proof technologies, products and services within agrifood and several other sectors.

Science Park Skövde is a venue for people, companies and businesses with a focus on development, innovation and digitalization. The main goal is startups with international growth potential and innovative knowledge-based growth companies in the field of IT and engineering with a special focus in software development, game developers, fintech and industrial digitization.

Together the operational SmartAgri-teams provides expertise within IT and engineering, agriculture,  business development and funding.  Digital technologies.