The Partners:

• Schweizerische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für die Berggebiete (SAB) (Lead Partner) (CH)
• Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science University of Maribor (Sl),
• Department for Economic Development, Research and Labour of the Autonomous Province of Trento (IT),
• Hub Innovazione Trentino – Fondazione (IT),
• Anteja ECG (SI),
• ecoplus. The Business Agency of Lower Austria (A),
• BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH (Germany ).

Problem Description

The aim of the Smart SME’s project is to understand to what extent SME’s that produce, process and apply natural fibres use digitalization tools and approaches. The project will also evaluate obstacles that prevent SME’s from exploiting the full potential of digital solutions.

Solution

The Smart SME’s project, which a part of the EU Strategy for the Apline Region (EUSALP) initiative, will contribute to finding solutions to overcome existing barriers. The project will be specifically focusing on enterprises in biobased value chains that produce, process and apply natural fibre-based materials, both cultivated and recycled from biological waste. The project is therefore tackling the idea of sustainable transformation in the Alpine region through the bioeconomy concept.

This will involve gathering existing digitalization knowledge from research institutions, clusters, digital innovation hubs and other service providers, evaluating the digitalization level of SME’s, pinpointing issues that hamper the implementation of digitalization as well as demonstrating precise measures (technical and non-technical) to overcome existing barriers. Pilot cases will be developed for application in specific biobased value chains.