On the 25th of June 2021, the national network of Digital Innovation Hubs (DIH) was approved and published. The national network of DIH is one of the twelve measures of the Action Plan for the Digital Transition, and it is intended to be a strategic instrument for the acceleration of the digital agenda of the various economic sectors, to be developed in conjunction with recognized competitiveness clusters and technological interface centres.
At this stage, the first ten national DIH have been selected, and additional hubs may be added to the national network to ensure adequate technological, territorial or sectorial coverage. The national DIH will have the opportunity to apply to the European Network of Digital Innovation Hubs promoted by the European Commission within the Digital Europe Programme, which is expected to be open in Q4 2021.
The DIH are collaborative networks that include specific digital competence centres, with the objective of disseminating and adopting advanced digital technologies by companies, in particular SMEs, through the development, testing and experimentation of these same technologies. Specifically, it is intended to encourage the incorporation of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and high-performance computing in the adaptation of the business models of national companies.