Creating a digital community for local enterprises
The local economic situation in the Dutch municipality of Oldambt is mainly characterised by SMEs in traditional sectors such as rural tourism, which plays an important role in the area adjacent to the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, local SME support mechanisms have so far mainly focused on high-tech startups. In the COM³ project, Oldambt municipality is therefore developing an online platform which shall help local SMEs overcome these challenges in two ways: On the one hand, the platform aims at creating a community for local enterprises and improving the communication between the municipality and local businesses. On the other hand, it shall provide tailor made business services, information and announcements for local enterprises. The municipality is also developing a training and coaching programme targeting the local SMEs in traditional sectors. The programme aims at helping these businesses to adopt digital technologies more widely.