Luxembourg's Ministry of the Economy and the national innovation agency, Luxinnovation, have announced the designation of the Luxembourg Digital Innovation Hub (L-DIH) as a European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH).

According to the ministry and Luxinnovation, the designation as an EDIH will broaden the scope of the L-DIH to centralise Luxembourg’s manufacturing sector’s digital transformation by providing additional channels and financial resources. Four partners will join the L-DIH, with Luxinnovation continuing its role as coordinator.

Launched in 2019 at the initiative of FEDIL, a multisectoral business federation representing industrialists and entrepreneurs, the L-DIH was commissioned with supporting the digital transformation of Luxembourg’s manufacturing sector.

Accelerating the digital transformation and the move towards industry 4.0 is essential for the Luxembourg economy to maintain competitiveness. Managed and hosted by Luxinnovation, the L-DIH has already established a strong local footprint by working closely with the Luxembourg manufacturing ecosystem to assess and comprehend its digital needs while leveraging the digital solutions available within the community. The recognition as EDIH gives it a new impetus and increased impact, in Luxembourg and beyond,” stated Luxembourg’s Minister of Finance, Franz Fayot.

The EDIH network reportedly includes over 170 centres throughout Europe and forms part of the Digital Europe Programme, which funds up to 50% of the total budget of EDIHs, with member states or regions contributing the other half.

The L-DIH consortium will be extended to include the Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity, the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), the University of Luxembourg and the University of Luxembourg Competence Centre. The FEDIL, the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce and the National Research Fund (FNR) will remain partners of the L-DIH.

Becoming an EDIH will enable the L-DIH to respond to a wider range of industry needs while positioning it for stronger impact in Luxembourg and Europe. While we continue our role as host and coordinator, the addition of new members in the consortium broadens the range of available technical resources and expertise, while also increasing the team’s size from four to ten people across these institutions,” commented Luxinnovation CEO Sasha Baillie.

During the first four years, the L-DIH focused on informing and engaging companies to facilitate their digital transformation. The L-DIH has now added three additional missions: supporting the development of digital skills and relevant training, helping companies “test before invest” to encourage them to try out new digital technologies and estimate their return on investment before investing and supporting companies to find funding and investment for their digital research and development (R&D) and innovation projects.

The L-DIH will create a one-stop-shop catalogue of all available trainings deemed critical to the digital transformation of the Luxembourg industry, as well as an analysis of the needs to supplement the existing offer with new trainings. Additionally, a reference catalogue will identify existing and required technological testing facilities based on market demands. The L-DIH team will also support businesses in obtaining investments from national, European, and external sources. Digital Maturity Assessment, Cybersecurity Maturity Assessment and Digital Skills Assessment are examples of new services which will be offered to support Luxembourg’s industrial companies in their digital innovation.

The L-DIH will maintain a local focus, but it will also employ the EDIH network to foster closer relationships and get access to a wider range of digital skills and technologies. According to the ministry and Luxinnovation, it will thus promote the digital skills and solutions of Luxembourg digital providers on a European scale, while accessing the EDIH's pool of providers of solutions that do not yet exist on the Luxembourg market.

A joint declaration was signed with four digital innovation hubs in the Greater Region at the initiative of the L-DIH to accelerate the deployment of digital technologies and strengthen innovation and the technological advancement of businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).