Since June, aconium has been involved in a new project in the Interreg North Sea region. COM³ (Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies) aims to support municipalities and counties in the introduction and use of new technologies. The project focuses on rural regions.
What is COM³ about?
Companies in rural areas are more susceptible to change, uncertain about technological changes and therefore often unable to adapt to rapidly developing technologies. To overcome these challenges, COM³ is developing a unique model that will enable counties and municipalities to create a dynamic business environment using digital technologies.
The COM³ training and coaching model will, connected hubs as well as matchmaking and mapping initiatives combined with a comprehendible set of regulatory, financing and security guiding measures and training will provide the necessary structures to support small businesses. The COM³ partners will test the jointly developed solutions in nine pilot regions in seven countries in the North Sea region. In addition to Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Great Britain are also taking part.
The project partners will develop a roadmap and a platform for the digitalisation of rural enterprises and network them across borders. The aims of the COM³ project are to
- increase the use of technologies – such as open data solutions or digital applications in industry and tourism – in rural enterprises by 15 percent, and
- to increase the share of information and communication technology in local and regional gross domestic product in the pilot regions.
The role of aconium
aconium developed the project and manages it together with Intercommunale Leiedal. As a project partner, aconium takes over the transnational project, financial and communication management of the entire COM³ partnership. The official start of the project is planned for October 2019, the project will run until the end of 2022.