Digital Transformation Training Course: DanubePeerChains’s online training

By project SKALE2CT

Published on 10 May 2024

Hungary

Nyugat-Dunántúl

About this good practice

DANUBE PeerChain developed a training program enhancing digitalization expertise of entrepreneurs and SME employees. SMEs face significant challenges in adapting to digitalization and Industry 4.0 technologies due to limited resources and expertise. This training program aimed to help overcoming barriers such as lack of digital skills among the workforce and integrating new technologies into existing operations. The basic training gave an overview of the most relevant information in:
- General Technological Trends in I4.0
- Connectivity
- Data Collection and Analysis
- Organizational aspects and HR Management
- Business models and smart services
- Describing new I4.0-Business Models

Beside the basic program, partners provided complementary trainings aimed at supporting SMEs in their digital transformation process in a comprehensive way. Thus, the project partners organized local, offline trainings inviting companies as main stakeholders. In the case of PBN, local trainings (01/2022) were organised for 21 companies on digital innovation and home care solutions, focusing on teaching and learning factories, AR/VR technologies, production development, robotics and data science.

The format included seminars and hands-on sessions, showcasing practical applications to increase production efficiency. This expertise contributed to business development in digitalization, fostering growth and project opportunities

Resources needed

Qualified experts with experience in international trends were essential for the execution of the GP. There were 18 experts involved in the project (2 per country) and 1 coordinator per country. A demonstration space with technological means and software was also required. Budget: 8000 EUR

Evidence of success

The program was a success on project level: 10 general and 10 specialist training were conducted.
In total, there were 256 participants, 118 attended the Basic training, 138 attended the Specialist training. Target participants were company employees and entrepreneurs. In total, 131 SMEs and 53 enterprises have been upskilled during basic and specialist training. This combination of actions provided great opportunity to test the trainings and fine-tune the services according to the needs.

Potential for learning or transfer

This practice offers valuable insights for other regions seeking to enhance digitalization among SMEs. Key success factors include tailored training addressing specific challenges faced by SMEs, involvement of qualified experts, and provision of hands-on sessions. Moreover, the practice offered specialized offline trainings in different regions of Austria, Croatia, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. These tailored sessions, aligned with local competencies, served as complementary services, enriching the digitalization journey for local SMEs. The training topics and the list of digitalisation technologies are available and adaptable, and allow business support organizations to enhance their portfolios, enabling them to better support SMEs in their digital transformation. The modular and adaptable nature of the program allows for customization to suit diverse regional contexts, making it an attractive model for promoting digitalization across other regions.