Grant Map EU

Everything is becoming more digital! In all areas of life, we are in contact with digitalisation, but what exactly is behind it and how does it influence the way we life, and the way we work? In times of home offices and digital nomads, it has become normal in many companies to use screencasts, video calls or Skype conferences with employees and customers around the world. Whereas in the past expensive hardware and specialised software were needed for this, nowadays even the simplest smartphone has such functions. Companies even offer considerable incentives for employees who work from the home office, as this saves them money on office and infrastructure costs. But what does it make with us, how does it change us, the companies, and the society? The future will be a globally networked digital form of working and living and it doesn’t matter whether we want it or not. However, the SB region is not sufficiently prepared for the digital future. Smaller enterprises, NGOs and associations are hesitant to use digital services or find it difficult to catch up with the quick developments of large globally connected enterprises. As the SB region is a region of mainly small and medium-sized enterprises, the region might lose its competitiveness in comparison with regions hosting large companies. Only when knowing and trusting the digitalisation, digital solutions will really be implemented, therefore it is crucial to create a joint exchange, a joint platform, taking everyone along into the process of digitalisation. By SMEs joining forces, exchanging and e.g. jointly developing fitting methods dealing with digital issues for a better work and life, the SB region can become a strong actor in the future digital form of work and life. A seed money project is necessary to prepare the network pilot actions, i.e. collecting needs and wishes of institutions, finding fitting partners for a regular project and jointly find pilot actions to be developed in the regular project.