The ERNACT network has secured three new digital transformation projects worth €4.5M from two prestigious European innovation funding programmes.
Last week ERNACT (European Regions Network for the Application of Communications Technology) secured €1.4M to pilot innovative smart energy solutions from EU’s prestigious Northern Periphery and Arctic programme.
In a new announcement this week, they have confirmed that another EU funding body (INTERREG Europe) has approved two further projects.
In this way, ERNACT has secured a total of €4.5M in a week across three digital transformation projects, ensuring €1.2M will directly benefit the North West of Ireland.
ERNACT was set up and managed by Donegal and Derry City and Strabane District councils and is a key aspect of the crossborder City Region initiative of both Councils.
Some of the ERNACT Board members: (from left to right): Brian Boyle, ERNACT Chairperson and Head of Information Systems at Donegal County Council; Cllr Niamh Kennedy, Donegal County Council; Marion Boyce, ERNACT Administrative Officer; Colm Mc Colgan, ERNACT General Manager; Stephen Gillespie, Director of Business and Culture at Derry City and Strabane District Council; Cllr Hugh (Gus) Hastings, Derry City and Strabane District Council; Cllr Rena Donaghey, Donegal County Council and ERNACT EEIG Chairperson.
While both projects focus on the topic of digital transformation, they complement each other in that one project (REGIONS 4.0) focuses on the technologies involved while the other (CARPE DIGEM) focuses more on the people involved (entrepreneurs, workers and employers) and how local innovation environments need to adapt to cater for the rise of digitization.
Speaking after ERNACT’s AGM on Thursday, outgoing ERNACT Chairperson, Councillor Gus Hastings, stated that “this brings to six the number of new projects which ERNACT has delivered for the North West Crossborder City Region since the last AGM; the total number of regions and cities with which we are now cooperating to 60; the total number of international projects under management to 11. This is an unprecedented undertaking for the two Councils, ERNACT and the region”.
Colm Mc Colgan, ERNACT General Manager, added that “REGIONS 4.0 is stratregically significant for the North West crossborder area as it will provide a dedicated resource for the City Region to explore how we should best respond to Industry 4.0”.
Whilst the focus in REGIONS 4.0 will be on the technologies involved, the focus in CARPE DIGEM (or “seize digital”), will be on how the wider innovation support environment in the North West and other parts of Europe – especially as it relates to workers and entrepreneurs – needs to adapt to take digitization into account.
Incoming ERNACT Chairperson Cllr Rena Donaghey stated that this project “will add value to Donegal County Council’s effort to encourage the creation of a network of digital innovation hubs and suitable knowledge working space throughout the County, including the planned Inishowen Hub, and how Donegal and Derry/Strabane can pool resources”.
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