Digital Transformation in Large Companies and SMEs: Opportunities with the EDIH Madrid Region

The event featured Macarena Sanz, Director of IDConsortium, and Micol Beittel, Ecosystem Lead Spain & Portugal at EIT Digital, who presented the opportunities that the EDIH Madrid Region offers to businesses and public administrations.

What is the EDIH Madrid Region?

The European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) Madrid Region is a European project co-financed by the European Commission under the Digital Europe Programme. It serves as a one-stop-shop to support businesses and public organizations in their digital transformation, combining a regional focus with access to a pan-European innovation network.

The EDIH Madrid Region provides four key areas of support:

✅ Test Before Invest: Enables access to advanced technologies without initial investment.
✅ Skills and Training: Offers specialized training in digitalization.
✅ Support to Find Investment: Identifies funding opportunities for innovation.
✅ Innovation Ecosystem & Networking: Connects companies with strategic partners for collaboration.

Collaboration Between Large Companies and SMEs

One of the key topics of the event was how large companies can collaborate with SMEs within the framework of the EDIH. Macarena Sanz highlighted that this collaboration allows:

✔️ Sharing experience and resources to facilitate the adoption of new technologies.
✔️ Promoting open innovation initiatives that benefit both parties.
✔️ Creating platforms that expand business opportunities for SMEs.

Oportunidades de Financiación para la Innovación

The event also covered various funding opportunities available to drive digitalization:

💡 Horizon Europe: R&D programs in digitalization, industry, and space.
💡 Interregional Innovation Investments (I3): Supports interregional innovation projects.
💡 Cascade Funding: EU funding for startups and SMEs adopting digital technologies.
💡 Eurostars-3: Supports market-oriented R&D projects.

Success Stories and Networking

In addition to the presentations, the event featured Lenora, Felwy, and Cardee, three innovative companies that shared their digitalization experiences.