A central point of the digital strategy of the state of Schleswig-Holstein is to strengthen the digital sovereignty of the administration. In order to achieve this goal, the state of Schleswig-Holstein has initiated the DigitalHub.SH, which is based at the state’s business development and technology transfer agency WTSH (Wirtschaftsförderung und Technologietransfer Schleswig-Holstein GmbH) in Kiel.
The hub aims to link the needs of the public sector with ideas from the digital economy in order to reduce dependencies in the IT area of public administration. At the same time, it aims to use innovative ideas and processes to make administration more transparent and open to society and business.
With funding from the state of Schleswig-Holstein amounting to more than two million euros, the operation of the hub will initially be secured for three years. A further eight million euros are available for projects initiated and supported by the DigitalHub.SH. The projects initiated with these funds will primarily be carried out jointly by public and non-profit institutions as well as experts from Schleswig-Holstein’s digital economy. The aim is to develop secure, adaptable and sustainable open source solutions and standards for Schleswig-Holstein’s public administration. A first step towards implementing such projects is the call for proposals for the ‘State Programme for Open Innovation’, which was launched on 15 January 2024.
The call for funding has a volume of two million euros and is aimed at public and non-profit organisations in cooperation with regional companies in Schleswig-Holstein’s digital economy. The aim is to jointly develop innovative digital solutions. The focus is on open source software that enables customisable, cost-effective solutions that can be reused throughout the state. The submitted projects are evaluated and selected by a consortium consisting of the State Chancellery, DigitalHub.SH and an expert jury. Successful applications will be funded by the state of Schleswig-Holstein and closely supported by DigitalHub.SH to ensure the successful development and implementation of the open source solutions.
Further information on the details of the call can be found on the DigitalHub.SH website.