Bosna i Hercegovina se pridružuje EU programu Digitalna Evropa
- Bit Alliance
- Jun 6, 2024
- 4 min read
06.06.2024.
Today, Bosnia and Herzegovina signed an agreement on participation in the EU program Digital Europe, which represents a significant step towards improving the conditions for the work and development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the field of digitization. This agreement will enable legal and natural persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina to apply for grants from the European Union in the field of digitization under the same conditions under which applicants from all over Europe will apply.
The Digital Europe program, with a budget of 7.5 billion euros for the period 2021-2027. aims to strengthen infrastructure and capacity in key areas such as supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cyber security and digital skills.
The Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in BiH, Ambassador Johann Sattler, stated that Digital Europe represents the EU's ambitious vision for the future in which every citizen, every company and all public services in Europe can take advantage of digital technologies.
"Today's signing of the agreement on joining the Digital Europe program provides a significant opportunity for Bosnia and Herzegovina to advance its digital transformation in almost all sectors of the economy and society, including the digitization of public services. I am pleased that Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a country whose future is in the EU, will participate in the Program, which will encourage research and innovation, which is crucial for the use of highly sophisticated technologies and skills, such as artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. This is the only way to ensure success in the global market The digital innovation hubs, which have been piloted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, are a good example of helping small and medium-sized enterprises in the digital transformation process. The EU remains committed to supporting the digital progress of Bosnia and Herzegovina and will continue to cooperate with the authorities to ensure that the country takes full advantage of the Digital Europe program, as well as other EU funding opportunities," said Ambassador Sattler.
The agreement was previously signed by EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton on behalf of the European Union, and during today's event, on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the agreement was signed by BiH Minister of Communications and Transport Edin Forto. The agreement will enter into force retroactively from January 1, 2024.
"We are catching up with the region. We are opening the European treasury for BiH companies, universities, institutes and state institutions. That is why joining the Digital Europe program will significantly contribute to common goals, values and strong ties between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union in the field of digital technologies. Small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular, will benefit greatly," Minister Forto pointed out.
The EU is committed to supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina in its digital transition, including through projects such as EU4DigitalSME, which was presented today at Europe House. The EU4DigitalSME project, which is co-financed by the European Union in the amount of 5 million euros and the German government in the amount of 1.1 million euros, and is implemented by GIZ. EU4DigitalSME together with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) project called "Go Digital in Bosnia and Herzegovina" is part of the European Union EU4SMEs program for the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises.
It is significant that the EU4DigitalSME project contributed to the digital ecosystem through the improvement of policies and encouraged cooperation between the public and private sectors. An exceptional success is the establishment of four digital innovation hubs (DIHs), which represent a key step towards digital transformation. These DIHs serve as vital resources, providing SMEs with the necessary support and resources to thrive in the digital age.
"We are proud to have hosted the signing of this important partnership, for which we have been preparing for some time. DIH's mission is to support the digital development of small and medium-sized enterprises and enable their presence on local and international markets. Almost 700 small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as 130 employees in public institutions, were trained on topics related to digitization. 12 new international partnerships for cooperation in the field of research and development were established. Two centers for digital transformation have been established, which will continue to provide services to companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The establishment of a digital identity / e-wallet platform was supported, which is very important for the digitization process of a country," said Eva Näher, program manager at GIZ BiH.
The EU4DigitalSME project, which has been going on for several years, enabled the direct cooperation of 70 small and medium-sized enterprises with research institutions. And in cooperation with the INTERA technology park, the support of 70 innovation vouchers was distributed to improve the business and products of small and medium-sized enterprises. In addition to supporting the development of research and cooperation in the Western Balkans, 14 innovative activities were implemented between small and medium-sized enterprises and research organizations.
