DIH TERA (Digital innovation hub TERA) is a consortium that functions as a one-stop-shop and provides companies with the possibility of enhancing their competitiveness concerning their business/production processes, products or services by using digital technologies. DIH TERA is based on technological infrastructure (Competence Centre – CC) and provides access to the latest knowledge, expertise and technologies for providing support to companies in the implementation of pilot projects, testing and experimenting with digital innovations. The hub provides business and financial support for introducing innovations, if necessary, through the value chain, and acts as the first regional contact point that strengthens the innovation ecosystem.
The DIH TERA consortium consists of organisations based in East Croatia, among which there are constituents of the two East Croatian universities and development agencies from all five of the region’s counties, as well as business support institutions and renowned Croatian SMEs with extensive knowledge and experience in the IT sector and digitalisation processes.
DIH TERA operates not only on regional but on the national and international levels as well. It cooperates with international consortia and initiatives, bringing companies closer to service providers from other regions. The members of the DIH TERA consortium participate in numerous international projects, programmes and networks, such as D-Rural, Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), Horizon2020, KAM (Key Account Management), Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE), KETGATE, KET4CP, MobiliseSME, Time Machine, EIT Food, Erasmus+, Interreg, Danube Transfer Centres (DTC), Open Innovation System of the Adriatic-Ionian Region network, ECMI (European Consortium for Mathematics in Industry), Crowdhelix.
the services encompass digital maturity evaluation, demonstrational activities, evaluation and simulation for digital transformation, support for integration and adaptation of different technologies, testing and experimentation with digital technologies, technology transfer, development of mobile and web applications.
workshops, seminars, in-house education and training.
the services encompass connecting companies within the EEN network, creating and publishing clients’ profiles in the EEN database, advisory services regarding business internationalisation on the EU market, a consultancy in defining project proposals for financing, directing entrepreneurs to cascade financing of R&D activities and prototype financing, connecting entrepreneurs with international networks of R&D institutions.
An analysis of justification and needs is performed on the expression of the client’s interest and the need for entrepreneurial support. To this end, an evaluation and support team shall be set up, involving relevant experts from the consortium’s partner institutions. The experts are tasked with preparing a work plan (consultancy support, education, prototyping, testing, preparing project proposals for other sources of funding and other activities according to the profile and needs of the project). In the initial phase, the work of DIH TERA focuses on activities that can significantly improve business through digitalisation, such as building sustainable food supply chains through the digital transformation of agriculture, which includes the use of artificial intelligence in quality control systems, the use of blockchain technologies un certification and labelling of food products, the use of GIS/GPS technologies in precision agriculture development, use of additive production to shorten the time required for product and packaging design, personalised nutrition and functional food production, as well as other unspecified activities. Based on the connections with other international consortia and initiatives, the range of technical competencies and services is significantly expanded.
DIH TERA contributes to the strengthening of cooperation between regional authorities, research organisations and industry, orienting on the achievement of joint objectives. The consortium will support the use of the available funding programmes, provide support to innovations and technology transfer, ensure the provision of adequate skills and personnel capacities for innovation development and strengthen the competencies for research and innovations in the region. Its activities will support the development and the enhancement of the ICT sector through the networking of the region’s IT companies, connection with research institutions and industry, bringing the sector’s activities to the international level.
In order to achieve international competitiveness, East Croatia must enhance the quality of its initiatives, meaning that it has to direct its resources into several good opportunities. The region’s economic recovery is planned to be achieved through three different initiatives: attracting new investments, enhancing the competitiveness of East Croatian enterprises and investing in innovations.
DIH TERA consists of 15 organisations covering five of the East Croatia’s counties and includes the main stakeholders of the regional ecosystem that will contribute to the strengthening of innovation capacities through cooperation and coordination of the digital transformation activities. The activities of the consortium complement the Slavonija, Baranja and Srijem Project.
The consortium will thus ensure the coordination and cooperation between public bodies, research organisations and private sector on three levels: regional, national and international. Based on the previously developed international cooperation and the involvement in the EU initiatives, the consortium will help digitalise and internationalise the clients’ businesses:
The work of DIH TERA is in line with various EU and national digitalisation strategies, aiming to achieve digital transition of the society and the economy with the help of new technologies to enhance competitiveness on the global market.