COM³ Partners meet online and in person in the Netherlands!
COM³ partners are digital pioneers in the Netherlands
The Province of Drenthe, Oldambt Municipality and the University of Groningen had the opportunity to showcase the many digital initiatives started in the region. From the Digital Center Oldambt – De Klinker in Windschotten, Oldamb to the Ondernemersfabriek in Assen and the Techhub Assen, local businesses can count on several meeting places to connect and ask for advice and help.
The Digital Center Oldambt – De Klinker works for example closely with schools and universities in the area. Students in IT and media design assist the municipal administration both in terms of providing consultancy to businesses and citizens interested in modern technology and of implementing measures by the administration itself.
At the Ondernemersfabriek in Assen, local companies can find support through the program “Ik ben Drents Ondernemer” program (“I am an entrepreneur in Drenthe”). The business support initiative accompanies local SMEs and help them grow and innovate through matchmaking events and advice- Every SME can beneficiate from up to 16 hours of consulting. Over the course of just a year, the program was able to help almost 100 businesses. In parallel, the program is also building a tool for SMEs to evaluate their digital readiness.
At the Techhub Assen, an initiative of the Municipality of Assen, Ondernemend Assen, Drenthe College, Hanze University Groningen and Province of Drenthe, the goal is to offer SMEs in the region low-threshold access to technological knowledge on the basis of which education can also develop further. It has so far been successful in fostering the development of innovate technologies such as intelligent regulation of lighting and heating for office spaces as well as a cost-efficient filtering of air.
COM³ pilots are going further and higher
During a formal partner meeting hosted in the Provincial Offices of Drenthe, participants could learn more about the exciting progress from pilots in Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands.
They also had the opportunity to further discuss the future learning platform as well future training modules that will help local and regional authorities and business support organizations in their role as innovation facilitators and digital enablers.
More to come soon! The first COM³ e-learning courses will be available to all by end of 2021!