European Digital Innovation Hubs

European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) are part of the EU’s new Digital Europe Programme. They function as service points that boost digital investment and, in particular, the digitalisation of SMEs.

Finland's designated EDIH candidates

Finland’s candidates for European Digital Innovation Hubs are:

• FAIR – Finnish AI Region (responsible organisation VTT Technical Research of Finland Ltd)
• SIX Manufacturing EDIH (Tamlink Ltd)
• Location Innovation Hub (LIH) (National Land Survey of Finland/Finnish Geospatial Research Institute (NLS FGI)
• 5STAR eCorridors (DIMECC Ltd)
• WellLake EDIH (Business Jyväskylä)
• HealthHub Finland (Turku Science Park Ltd)
• Robocoast EDIH Consortium (Prizztech Ltd)

Press release on the designation

In the next phase, a limited call for applications from nationally pre-selected candidates will be organized by the European Commission. The call will be open from 17 November 2021 to 22 February 2022. The Digital Europe programme regulation came into force on 11 May 2021. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is working with the candidates and stakeholders to prepare for the EU call.

National candidates were chosen in an open call

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment organized a call for applications to select Finnish candidates for the European Digital Innovation Hubs between 18 November 2020 and 15 January 2021. 

We received 10 applications. An independent expert panel evaluated and ranked the proposals. The plan in the call was to submit 6-8 Finnish candidates for the restricted Commission call, which is the next phase in the selection process.

• Open call for the European Digital Innovation Hubs in Finland
• Electronic signature of the document    
• EDIH proposal confirmation form  
• Questions and answers on Finland’s EDIH call 

The Commission and its partners organized a virtual EDIH event “Gearing Up towards European Digital Innovation Hubs” on 26-27 January, 2021. We received indications of 14 proposals in preparation, and they had the opportunity to participate in the event.

Background

In June-August 2020, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment carried out a survey of actors interested in becoming EDIHs. The survey highlighted two key themes and sectors, which may also be specialised fields of the EDIHs, and workshops exploring these themes were organised before the start of the application period. These themes are health and well-being, and manufacturing industry. The purpose of the workshops was to share information among those interested in acting as EDIHs, to help identify overlaps and synergies between the plans and to support the development of the plans. 

The Commission’s page on EDIHs contains a number of useful and up-to-date documents.
Press release: Innovation hubs to promote digitalisation in the EU - Applications from the Finnish candidates now accepted

Further information: 

Lasse Laitinen - lasse.laitinen(at)gov.fi
Olli Voutilainen - olli.voutilainen(at)gov.fi