EDIH4LT

European Digital Innovation Hub for Central and Western Lithuania

About us

Who we are?

Industry need driven European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) of Central and Western Lithuania consists of 14 partners operating throughout Lithuania and representing different areas of competence and experience.

We are operating in 5 sectors: Manufacturing, Public Sector, Healthcare & Biotechnologies, ICT and Fintech.

Our key competences are Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cybersecurity (CS) in the fields of ​Big data, Automated BMS & WMS, Smart Sensors, ​Robotics, I​oT/IoIT, ​Automation, ​VR/AR, Automatic reporting.

Project: „INDUSTRY 4.0 LAB PLATFORM: DI4LITHUANIANID“ No. 02-016-P-0003

The European Digital Innovation Center DI4LithuanianID is part of the Industry 4.0 Lab platform, which is coordinated by the Innovation Agency Lithuania.

Hub team

Dr. Mindaugas Bulota

EDIH Coordinator (KTU)

Mindaugas Kemzūra

Project manager (KTU)

Milda Karčiauskaitė

Project manager (KTU)

Audrius Jasėnas

Senior Expert (Intechcenter)

Dovydas Zinkevičius

Senior Expert (OIXIO)

Virgilijus Dirma

Senior Advisor (Infobalt)

Egidija Veršinskienė

Senior Researcher (L3CE)

Mindaugas Kieža

Senior Expert (Lighthouse Hub)

dr. Marius Laurinaitis

Senior Researcher (MRU)

Lina Giedraitė

Senior Expert (LINPRA)

Eimantė Survilaitė

Senior Expert (ISM)

Vytis Radvila

IT Manager (Klaipėda University)

Members

Services

Prototyping, Fostering the Integration, Adaptation of various technologies, Concept validation, Testing and experimentation with digital technologies (software), Demonstration activities, Knowledge and technology transfer

1. Test before invest

Prototyping, Fostering the Integration, Adaptation of various technologies, Concept validation, Testing and experimentation with digital technologies (software), Demonstration activities, Knowledge and technology transfer

Access to funding (Fin institutions and investors: ERDF, Horizon Europe, InvestEU, Transition Mechanism and others), Investors support (Venture Capital entities, Bank loans)

2. Support to find investment

Access to funding (Fin institutions and investors: ERDF, Horizon Europe, InvestEU, Transition Mechanism and others), Investors support (Venture Capital entities, Bank loans)

Short-term advanced Digital Skills training courses, Visioning and strategy development, Awareness creation, Mentoring, Hosting or providing training, Technology road mapping

3. Skills & Training

Short-term advanced Digital Skills training courses, Visioning and strategy development, Awareness creation, Mentoring, Hosting or providing training, Technology road mapping

Networking, Incubator/Accelerator support, Voice of the Customers

4. Ecosystem building & Networking

Networking, Incubator/Accelerator support, Voice of the Customers

News

Digitalisation: everyone has heard, but knowledge is lacking
2023 December 07

Digitisation received generous attention during the coronavirus pandemic. Digital tools have become a means for many businesses and the public sector to maintain at least a modicum of normality. Everyone has said so much about digitisation that the understanding of its benefits in business and the public sector seems obvious.

However, the partners of the European Digital Innovation Centre’s DI4 Lithuanian ID project say that awareness still needs to be raised, while at the same time moving towards specific, individual problems and targeted training, practical testing of technologies and support for digitisation pilot projects.

A deeper understanding is needed

Although some digital tools were adapted during the coronavirus pandemic, such as remote meetings and digitisation of documents, that was mostly the end of the story. As experts say, it is just a change of form – from analogue, physical to digital.

From the fact that information is transferred from paper to digital form and sent by email, but then it is up to a human being to process it – to read it and take action, the process itself has not changed in the slightest and the real benefits of digitisation have not been felt by the organisation.

Digitisation is therefore a necessary but not a sufficient condition for digitisation, where digital technologies are applied to change certain processes. For example, by automating production, information reception, processing and response, where this does not require human decisions.

“Companies and organisations often do not have specific knowledge, although they have heard of digitisation and digitalisation, but do not know what it would mean for them and their processes”, says Mindaugas Bulota, Head of the National Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), the coordinator of the “DI4 Lithuanian ID” project.

According to him, a significant obstacle is also the natural resistance of employees, because in order for an organisation to use digital technologies to change certain processes, it has to learn, and additional activities arise. “In the beginning, you have to spend more time, more effort, but in the long term it helps to reduce costs,” he notes.

Benefits – and exchange of experience

The EU-funded DI4 Lithuanian ID project, which started a year ago and will continue for the next couple of years, aims to help businesses and organisations take those initial steps towards digital transformation.

The core competencies of the project consortium, which consists of 14 partners, are focused on artificial intelligence and cyber security, big data, automated BMS and WMS, smart sensors, robotics, IoT/IoIT, automation, VR/AR, and automated reporting.

The consortium operates in 5 sectors: manufacturing, public sector, healthcare and biotechnology, ICT and financial technology.

It starts with an introduction to the technologies, then goes deeper, exploring how specific problems can be solved with them.

“The interest is there. Around 150 companies have already participated in our training. They range from one person to large companies with 500 or more employees, as well as public sector bodies,” says the head of KTU’s National Centre for Innovation and Business.

“One of the most important benefits of these initial events and trainings is the opportunity to network with each other. Representatives of organisations come with a certain vision of digitalisation, and at the event they talk to their colleagues, share that vision, their practice and experience”, says M.Bulota.

He said that clients have very individual questions, which is why targeted meetings are organised in the later stages for companies to examine their specific cases.

Digitalisation in its various aspects

According to M.Bulota, the great value of the consortium is that its members cover the whole spectrum and clients can get not only the technological knowledge, but also the legal knowledge that is necessary for digitisation, and can look at potential investments from different angles.

“System integrators who are among the partners and who implement technological solutions on a daily basis can point out from their own experience what works, what to look out for, and what might not be valuable,” explains the head of the KTU’s National Centre for Innovation and Business.

The training and the development of certain solutions for testing are free of charge. “The aim is to give our clients the opportunity to test solutions and technologies before investing in them, to gain the necessary knowledge,” says Dovydas Zinkevičius, Director of Columbus Lietuva, one of the partners of “DI4 Lithuanian ID”.

According to him, the project programme provides an opportunity to clarify one’s need, helps to form a reasoned investment decision after trying one or another tool.

Some of the project’s clients have already matured into concrete implementations. “We hope to share good examples in the near future”, says D.Zinkevičius.

M.Bulota noted that it would be useful to provide support to companies in the later stages of digitisation, when pilot deployment projects are carried out on a limited scale. “This would further encourage digitisation in our industry, public sector and other organisations,” he noted.

 

Events

2024-04-02 14:00
Training “Artificial Intelligence – friend or enemy?”

EDIH4LT invites companies and public organisations from Central and Western Lithuania to register for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) training course “Artificial Intelligence: friend or foe?”:

  • You will learn what AI really is – from simple algorithms to modern intelligent systems, and we will look at the main innovations and their impact on problem solving and innovation in different industrial sectors
  • We will explore the practical applications of AI and how it can make everyday tasks easier, more efficient and decision-making.
  • We will also introduce participants to popular AI tools that can be easily applied in a variety of activities. We will discuss what homework should be done before deploying IoT solutions in business.

The training will be conducted by Prof. Tomas Krilavičius, an AI expert and board member of the Lithuanian Artificial Intelligence Association.

Date: 2 April, 2 pm.
Venue: Vytautas Magnus University, V. Putvinskio str. 23, Kaunas

Preliminary programme of the training is available here.

To be confirmed and receive the training free of charge, you must meet the following criteria:

  • The company must not be in financial difficulties,
  • The company must have a physical presence in Western and Central Lithuania.

In order to verify the company’s eligibility for the registration of State aid, we will need to complete the following documents:

  • one company declaration,
  • declaration of the services received.

IMPORTANT: The number of participants is limited to 30 places. Places are subject to the completion of the State aid documents and confirmation. The training is partly funded by the European Union project Industry 4.0 Lab Platform: DI4LithuanianID.

Please hurry up and register, the number of places is limited.

Registration -> https://forms.gle/Hgq6134MVQmDiN5dA

2024-04-04 09:00
2023-06-06 09:00

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