DIHGIGAL, an innovation ecosystem in the North of Spain

DIHGIGAL is a private initiative promoted by the manufacturing industry in a partnership framework among the members of the Galician automotive, naval, food and ICT industries. The initial promoters got together the main agents, including competences centers and companies, representing 633 companies, a turnover of €18,620 million (31% of the Galician GDP) and 63,800 direct employees.

According to Mª Eugenia Mijares, DIHGIGAL  Public Affair & Development, the hub goal is “is to boost the digital transformation of the industry working in three levels”. First of all, DIHGIGAL supports the industry in order to define and to keep updated its digital challenges. The second step is not only to match the technology demand to the main capacities in the territory (competence centres, big tech companies, start up and any kind of solutions providers) but also to promote strategic projects to solve the industry challenges. Finally, DIHGIGAL develops a smart private-public dialogue in order to achieve the highest impact and the best funding opportunities

“DIHGIGAL supports the companies from the challenges definition to the follow up of the digital transformation projects”, explains Mijares. The backbone of the hub challenges is the advisory service that looks for the best resources for the SME. The resources are divided in four areas: ecosystem and networks (to connect supply and demand and including team building activities, think tanks or tech days), test before invest (to optimize the use of the infrastructure and the choice among technologies), skills (to answer to the lack of capacities and linked to skilling, upskilling or reskilling activities) and funding (looking for the best opportunities: public funds, investors…). “All the resources are combined according to the SME needs to boost its digital transformation”, Mijares concludes.

DIHGIGAL is about ecosystem and connection, and also is DIH-World. “We both are looking for developing digitalisation projects, so become part of DIH-World is a great opportunity in three different fields. First of all, to be close to the companies in the experiment development. Secondly, to learn about other DIH and their best practices by creating a knowledge network to advance quicker in the digital transformation. Thirdly, in order to connect the digitalisation capacities around Europe and to optimize their use beyond the regional possibilities”.