ENTIRE European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) 2.0 supports SMEs, larger enterprises, and Public Service Organisations in their digital transformation journeys.
The Impact
ENTIRE EDIH 2.0 offers a comprehensive range of services, including the evaluation of digital technologies for specific use cases, digital skills development in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, and facilitates strategic connections with relevant stakeholders across the innovation ecosystem, addressing potential gaps in the supply chain.
The challenge
One of the biggest challenges for organisations is to identify and access investment opportunities for digital
technologies and digitisation processes. For many Irish SMEs, start-ups and public organisations, adopting digital technologies such as IoT sensors, secure networks and AI means committing time and money to solutions they have not yet seen work in practice.
Limited access to advanced testing infrastructure and specialist expertise makes that decision harder, particularly across a regional ecosystem of around 100,000 SMEs.
The solution
ENTIRE offers a structured Test Before Invest pathway in three steps: a needs assessment that matches each organisation with the right technology, hands-on testing and validation in advanced facilities, and expert feedback to refine the solution before any major investment. The hub draws on its partners’ expertise in IoT smart sensors, networks, cybersecurity and AI, while Skillnet Ireland helps SMEs build the digital skills to adopt what they test.
...and Why it matters
ENTIRE shows how a regional hub can lower the barrier to digital adoption by letting organisations test before they invest. By pairing access to specialist infrastructure and expertise with the research strength of Tyndall National Institute and its academic partners, it helps SMEs, start-ups and public bodies across Ireland’s Southern Region make confident decisions about IoT, secure networks and AI.
This pre-investment approach reduces risk for organisations that might otherwise hesitate, and it supports sectors central to the regional economy, including life sciences and healthtech, agriculture, energy and transport. It offers a practical model that other European regions can learn from.