Norte Digital[1]

Norte Digital aims to help the SMEs based in the North of the Portugal to benefit from the potential of the digital economy.
The Norte Digital project supports SMEs in the process of building a digital strategy, assisting them to facilitate the creation of the necessary conditions to strive in the global market.

The Norte Digital actions are the following: to increase the number of SMEs in the digital economy; enhance the access to new markets and the creation of new products and services; qualify and prepare up to fifty SMEs to enter in the international market; create three cabinets to support SMEs in the digital transition process; concur to the promotion and improvement of intersectoral synergies; empower new companies that think “out of the box”; facilitate and promote synergies between SMEs in accordance with digital trends; contribute to reinforce the achievement indicators of SMEs; and, finally, to strengthen skilled employment by promoting the interconnection between the training offer and market needs, namely in terms of digital skills and ICT expertise. To fulfil its mission, along with conferences and presentations, Norte Digital provides diagnostic studies, consulting and training pilots to SMEs.

Strengths and lessons learnt
Until now the initiative was implemented at the regional level only. It has huge potential to be transferable to other regions. At the same time it is also sustainable, as the demand for the support provide by Norte Digital will increase in the upcoming years. It should be extended to a comprehensive training programmes targeting both the SME’s leadership and employees, to boost the digital transition process.