Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Programme 2014 - 2020 INTERREG VB North Sea

Date of latest update: 2024-01-29

Description

Description (EN):

COM³ is a change of mind-set with a focus on the mediatory role of local & regional authorities for improving the tech-readiness of rural businesses and exploiting local potentials for rural innovation and smarter growth. COM³ gives rise to tech-enabled and tech-branded rural areas built on their local environmental, socio-economic and cultural assets. The vulnerability of rural businesses and their uncertainty to the rapid technological changes along with shortages in infrastructure and competencies keep them often unable to effectively adopt fast evolving technologies. To overcome this, COM³ provides a unique model for local and regional authorities and enables them to create a dynamic environment for rural businesses in utilizing basic and advanced digital techs. The COM³ training & coaching model, connected hubs and matchmaking & mapping initiatives combined with a comprehendible set of regulatory, finance and security guiding measures & training will provide the structures needed to protect vulnerable small businesses and to create 9 tech-enabled and tech-branded rural areas in the NSR. COM³ partners test the jointly developed solutions in 9 regions from 7 NSR countries. They create a NSR roadmap and platform for digitalization of rural businesses and build a cross-border community around it. This will result in a 15% increase of tech adoption for rural businesses followed by an increase of the share of ICT in the local/regional GDPs in the pilot regions. Information added on 2020-06-25, regarding the mitigation of the effects of COVID-19 (the coronavirus pandemic that started in 2019) (English language only): SMEs are strongly affected by Covid-19 because they typically lack the resources to tackle long-term lock-down and economic recession. Fast digital transformation can mitigate the negative effects by increasing their competitive power. As part of its work to equip public authorities to support rural SMEs, COM³ is testing public digital platforms for local products and services, connecting producers and service providers with local costumers and integrating smart logistic solutions.

Achievements (EN):

In a journey of collaboration and peer learning, the COM³ project facilitated the digital transformation of rural enterprises in the North Sea Region. Simultaneously, it strengthened and empowered local and regional public authorities in their role as facilitators and tech enablers in rural areas. Small businesses in rural areas are vulnerable to rapid technological changes and often face shortages in infrastructure and competencies. The COM³ support model helped municipalities, regions, and business support organisations – to empower local companies and create a rural digital ecosystem. Leiedal, as lead partner, and atene KOM, as part of the project management team, played pivotal roles in ensuring seamless project and communication management. They supported 19 COM³ partners so that they achieved the planned targets, outputs, and outcomes. Navigating the programme's financial constraints, Leiedal and atene KOM provided guidance and facilitated a swift adaptation of activities within the revised financial context. Committed to fostering collaboration until the end of the project, partners participated in two partner meetings in the last phase of COM³. These include an event hosted by the University of Lincoln in the United Kimgdom and an online meeting originally planned in Vejle, Denmark. (WP1) Communication-wise, the project management team orchestrated various initiatives, including regional and transnational communication activities. Participation in international events and initiatives, such as the Smart Country Convention, European Cybersecurity Month, Smart City Expo Barcelona, EURegionsWeek 2022, All Digital Weeks, and the publication of an article on the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform, showcased the project's global engagement to share the COM³ learnings beyond the partnership. Noteworthy, campaigns like #learningwithCOM3 and "COM³ summer" added vibrancy to the project's online presence. (WP2) As part of their activities, COM³ partners successfully finalised and published the COM³ support model. This comprehensive model encompasses e-learning courses, pilot stories, quick-win strategies, and insights for any organisation willing to help small companies use digital technology. The model, along with ten new training modules, was made available on the ruraldigital.eu learning platform. Partners tested and improved these modules during partner meetings and disseminated them at regional and transnational events. (WP3) The COM³ model is based on the learnings of nine regional pilot projects. In each region, COM³ partners developed and tested innovative business support measures. The results are impressive! The results of a company survey analysed by the University of Lincoln show that businesses engaged in COM³ in a variety of ways, including networking, digital skills workshops, support for online sales, peer learning, student-based projects, and discussions about open data. 84% of businesses identified that participation in COM³ made a difference to their understanding of digital technology, while 74% identified that it had made a difference to their use of digital technology. (WP4) Finally, under the guidance of the Alexanderson Institute, COM³ partners effectively promoted project experiences, training modules, findings, and insights. The Alexanderson Institute shared the COM³ mainstreaming plan, while the ruraldigital.eu learning platform evolved with new training modules, updated pilot stories, and five new quick-win strategies. These accomplishments were showcased at COM³ events, EU events, and various initiatives, including three matchmaking events and a comprehensive methodbook. (WP5)

Website: https://northsearegion.eu/com-3

Thematic information

ICT and digital society Rural and peripheral development

Specific Objective: Enhance regional innovation support capacity to increase long-term innovation levels and support smart specialization strategies

Thematic Objective: (01) strengthening research, technological development and innovation by:

Investment Priority:

(01b) promoting business investment in R&I, developing links and synergies between enterprises, research and development centres and the higher education sector, in particular promoting investment in product and service development, technology transfer, social innovation, eco-innovation, public service applications, demand stimulation, networking, clusters and open innovation through smart specialisation, and supporting technological and applied research, pilot lines, early product validation actions, advanced manufacturing capabilities and first production, in particular in key enabling technologies and diffusion of general purpose technologies

Partners (15)

Lead Partner: Intercommunale Leiedal

Address: President Kennedypark 10, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.leiedal.be

Total budget: EUR 473 114.00

ERDF budget: EUR 236 557.00

Aalborg Universitet

Name: Aalborg Universitet

Address: Fredrik Bajers Vej 7A, DK-9220 Aalborg East, Denmark

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.aau.dk

Total budget: EUR 200 035.00

ERDF budget: EUR 100 017.00

Agentur für Kommunikation, Organisation und Management

Name: Agentur für Kommunikation, Organisation und Management

Address: Bördestr. 9, 27711 Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Germany

Legal status: private

Website: http://www.atenekom.eu

Total budget: EUR 536 322.00

ERDF budget: EUR 268 161.00

Alexandersoninstitutet

Name: Alexandersoninstitutet

Address: Otto Torells gata 16C, S-43280 Varberg, Sweden

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.alexandersoninstitutet.se

Total budget: EUR 296 950.00

ERDF budget: EUR 148 475.00

Amt Huettener Berge

Name: Amt Huettener Berge

Address: Muehlenstrasse 8, 24361 Gross Wittensee, Germany

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.amt-huettener-berge.de

Total budget: EUR 316 230.00

ERDF budget: EUR 158 115.00

Cluster for Industrial Asset Management

Name: Cluster for Industrial Asset Management

Address: CIAM, co/ Jan Frick, PO Box 8600 Forus, N-4036 Stavanger, Norway

Legal status: public

Website (not verified): http://www.ciam.uis.no

Total budget: EUR 105 000.00

Provincie Drenthe

Name: Provincie Drenthe

Address: Postbus 122, 9400AC Assen, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.drenthe.nl

Total budget: EUR 250 000.00

ERDF budget: EUR 125 000.00

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

Name: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

Address: Landleven 1, 9747 AD Groningen, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.rug.nl/frw

Total budget: EUR 183 000.00

ERDF budget: EUR 91 500.00

Universitet i Sørøst-Norge

Name: Universitet i Sørøst-Norge

Address: Lundevegen 1D, 3800 Bø I Telemark, Norway

Legal status: public

Website: https://www.usn.no/english

Total budget: EUR 136 400.00

Universitetet i Stavanger

Name: Universitetet i Stavanger

Address: POBox 8600 Forus, 4036 Stavanger, Norway

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.uis.no

Total budget: EUR 120 200.00

Vejle Erhverv

Name: Vejle Erhverv

Address: Lysholt Alle 6, 7100 Vejle, Denmark

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.vejle.dk

Total budget: EUR 300 825.00

ERDF budget: EUR 150 412.00

Vinje Kommune

Name: Vinje Kommune

Address: Vinjevegen 192, 3890 Vinje, Norway

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.vinje.kommune.no

Total budget: EUR 158 450.00

Gemeente Oldambt

Name: Gemeente Oldambt

Address: Johan Modastraat 6, 9670AD Winschoten, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.gemeente-oldambt.nl

Total budget: EUR 309 050.00

ERDF budget: EUR 154 525.00

Länsstyrelsen Värmland

Name: Länsstyrelsen Värmland

Address: Våxnäsgatan 5, 651 86 Karlstad, Sweden

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.lansstyrelsen.se/varmland

Total budget: EUR 79 500.00

ERDF budget: EUR 39 750.00

University of Lincoln

Name: University of Lincoln

Address: Lincoln International Business School, University of Lincoln, LN6 7TS Lincoln, United Kingdom

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.lincoln.ac.uk

Total budget: EUR 279 986.00

ERDF budget: EUR 139 993.00

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Intercommunale Leiedal

Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Partners and Projects info

Aalborg University

Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Partners and Projects info

Agency for Communication, Organization and Management

Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Partners and Projects info

Alexanderson Institute

Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Partners and Projects info

Amt Huettener Berge

Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Partners and Projects info

Cluster for Industrial Asset Management

Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Partners and Projects info

Province of Drenthe

Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Partners and Projects info

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Partners and Projects info

University of South-Eastern Norway

Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Partners and Projects info

University of Stavanger

Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Partners and Projects info

Resilience Lab Denmark

Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Partners and Projects info

Vinje Municipality

Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Partners and Projects info

Gemeente Oldambt

Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Partners and Projects info

Länsstyrelsen Värmland

Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Partners and Projects info

University of Lincoln

Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Project acronym: COM³

Project start date: 2019-07-01

Project end date: 2023-06-30

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 4 203 832.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 1 841 890.00

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, .

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 INTERREG VB North Sea

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2023-02-14

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

73 / 73 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

871 / 871 (100%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme. Achievements were retrieved by Interact from the Programme website (http://www.northsearegion.eu/), or a website directly linked from it, on 2021-09-20 and 2023-01-12.

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Building COMpetencies for COMpetitive COMpanies

Description

Thematic information

Partners (15)

Partners map

Summary

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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