Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ)

Digital Innovation Zone from North-East Romania is a Digital Innovation Hub established in 2019 as a bottom-up initiative, based on the commitment of well-known entities at regional level, namely the Universities, several private companies in the region, multinational companies with expertise in scale innovation and digital solutions, as well as North-East ADR, as a promoter.
DIZ acts as IT sector leader and gives contribution to the implementation of the Smart Specialization Strategy of the North-East Region by establishing development directions through innovation, identification and implementation of specific projects but also as a crosscutting facility for other priority areas of specialization in the North-East Region: production (agri-food, biotechnology, text and new materials), the health sector, through active involvement in the process of digital transformation. However, 2 sectors (described below) are in focus, due to relevance in regional strategy, growth & impact potential.
DIZ sectorial coverage was established based on ADRNE desk research and entrepreneurial discovery workshops organised during the elaboration of RIS3(2019-2020), which included industry, academia, research and public entities. According to RI3 North-East the following
areas of activity are identified with potential for smart specialisation:

1. Manufacturing (including but not limited textile, wood, etc)
2. E-health

Key enabling technologies KET (focus on Artificial Intelligence, followed by Cloud, VR, IoT, blockhain, robotics, digital twins, etc) are identified as relevant smart specialisation niches.
DIZ, as an One-Stop-Shop, helps companies in a region become more competitive by improving processes, products and services using digital technologies and giving acces to 4 main services:

ACCES TO THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

• Bridging the collaboration between the industry, businesses and administration that need new technological solutions on the one hand, with companies, especially start-ups and SMEs, that have ready-to-market solutions on the other.
• Providing information/communication to partners, partners and beneficiaries (target group) on: Policies, European and national programs, EU and national legislation and specific events (elaborate an innovation centre newsletter).
• Business opportunities in Romania, EU and internationally Strategic collaboration Disemination in audio-visual media, social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)
• Mapping the regional innovation ecosystem and the beneficiaries or potential suppliers(contact, skills, areas of interest);
• Support in identifying business partners or transfer of skills in Romania, the EU and internationally
• Access to DIHnet.eu network
• Representation in networking meetings/forums and negotiations with potential partners;
• Organizing brokerage events and participating in economic missions abroad.

DIGITAL SKILLS

• Training and support in the development of digital skills.
• Support in developing advanced digital skills (for example, by coordinating with education providers to provide short-term training for workers and internships for students).
• Innovation Management Assessements to evaluate the innovative capacity of SMEs in the region, the needs of digitalisation and proposing digitalisation strategies to increase performance in this field
• Organizing thematic focus groups for the implementation of specific tasks
• Participating in the development and implementation of vocational training or training coursestogether with external partners.
• Support to get advanced digital skills.

ACCES TO FINANCE

• Support services for companies, especially SMEs and start-ups, such as: access to financial institutions and investors, supporting the use of InvestEU and other relevant financing mechanisms.
• Free advice for beneficiaries on accessing European funds and national programs in the area of digitalisation.
• Entrepreneurship development, financing, consulting, coaching, access to financing as a service, cascade funding.