February 21, 2023 – This year’s series of regional debates, excursions and practical demonstrations of digitalization in everyday corporate life with the overall title Digital Transformation 2023 was launched today with the first regional event in České Budějovice. The Roadshow is subtitled “..or Successful transformation of Czech companies into businesses of the future” and aims to discuss the environmental, social and economic impulses for advanced digitalization and to show nationwide and regional examples of good practice from the everyday life of Czech companies. The project was prepared by CzechInno together with partners of the Hub for Digital Innovation

The topic of Industry 4.0 and digital transformation of not only manufacturing companies has been current in the Czech Republic for the ninth year. Participants of the regional debate from the business innovation ecosystem and local companies agreed that although not all solutions have been successfully completed yet, it is worth incorporating the digital transformation process as a stable part of their operational model and strategic planning.

“We want to show companies that, despite all the pitfalls, partial failures and dead ends, the digital transformation path is inevitable for them if they want to succeed in today’s technology-saturated world, which, however, still respects the basic rules of business: namely, that the goal is to deliver a product that meets the customer’s demand on time and at an acceptable price – which will respect the interests of both parties. And at the same time – and this is what we add and emphasize – to be more environmentally friendly, to our employees, but also to our own company’s wallet through savings on energy and other resources,” says Jiří Holoubek, President of the Electrotechnical Association of the Czech Republic, who gave an introductory lecture summarizing the current situation in Czech companies at today’s event.

“As part of this year’s series, we would like to bring companies news from this area, working examples of good practice, but also offer them the helping hand of all those who can help them in the process of digital transformation – both in the technological, financial or investment context and in the provision of consulting services that will help them resolve question marks and show them the way in their future direction,” adds Tereza Šamanová, Executive Director of CzechInno and coordinator of the Hub for Digital Innovation.

The services of the Czech digital innovation hubs are another content line of the Digital Transformation 2023 series: there are currently 13 of them in the Czech Republic. While the organizing Hub for Digital Innovation based in Prague focuses on IoT technology, blockchain, but especially on consulting on business and operational models of digital transformation, including mediation of support from the projects of the so-called Digital Transformation 2023. The local South Bohemian DigiHub resonates strongly with artificial intelligence technology and its implementation partners focus on virtual and augmented reality, which they help spread in companies and public services such as schools and hospitals. Also mentioned at the event was the network of EDIHs – European Centres for Digital Innovation – which have been operating in the Czech Republic since January this year, providing their services to SMEs and public organisations both in the Czech Republic and the rest of Europe. Among them, the Cybersecurity Innovation Hub, based in Brno and focusing on the topic of cybersecurity, was presented in the programme.

At the same time, with today’s event on behalf of our home DIH Hub for Digital Innovation and EDIH Cybersecurity Innovation Hub, we offered further closer cooperation in co-organising awareness-raising events, sharing our portfolio of services and offers for clients with the local South Bohemian DigiHub and other actors in the South Bohemian ecosystem of innovation entrepreneurship support. The next step will be a joint Czech-Bavarian cross-border event to connect EDIH and DIH ecosystems in border regions on the Czech side with Lower Bavarian actors that already provide services to Czech companies and are preparing to intensify them within the newly approved EDIH DInO.