Business Transformation towards Digitalization and Smart Systems Erasmus Project

Project Title

Business Transformation towards Digitalization and Smart Systems

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship); Research and innovation; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

On March 10th 2016, the Strategic Policy Forum on Digital Entrepreneurship stated very clear – digital transformation is not an option – it is a must! The European SME needs to explore the future potential of ICT, automation, sustainable and clean as well as human-centered work systems and processing technologies. According to Gunther Oettinger, EU Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society (2016) and European business leaders areas like big data, the internet of things, cyber-physical systems and robotics offer great opportunities for industry. At a recent roundtable in Brussels on the Digital Transformation of Industry, ways to energize the digital transformation of Europe’s industrial sector across Europe were discussed, to raise the potential for increasing flexibility, efficiency, productivity, competitiveness – all helping to create jobs and growth transnationally – especially within SMEs. After all, Europe is a continent of SMEs – where nine out of ten companies are SMEs and, two out of three jobs are in SMEs. They have to be part of the digital journey; they are crucial to Europe´s growth and competitiveness. Together, sectors (C) Manufacturing 9,33%; (H) Transport and Storage 5,09%; (J) Information and Communication 4,44% and (M) Professionals Science and Technical Administration 18,13% comprise 37% of the 22,3 million SME. Most of the 8,25 million SME are not aware of the implications of being not prepared for this Business Transformation in order to emphasize on improvements, growth and competitiveness, yet.

Increased sense of initiative and entrepreneurship of owners, managers and staff can only be expected if sensitization and tailored measures are applied within these companies. However, to create value through the “Internet of things” and seize the opportunity for technological and process change, the commitment of each enterprise to identify and quantify its individual potential is required. The new approaches of digitalization and smart systems are often barely validated and potential impact is mostly not proven. Transformation towards digitized, smart systems is not a one-off activity but rather an ongoing process and could be describe as a lifelong learning process for an enterprise.

In comparison to big companies with the financial strength to either hire consulting companies or to run own departments with a number of experts working on digitization and smart systems, especially SMEs do not have the same financial possibilities andtherefore are facing a lack of expertise, overview, knowledge with regard to technologies, methods, approaches their mutual
interaction as well as potential and risks. SMEs run the risk of waiting too long with the migration towards smart systems and their digitization, or pursue no holistic approach for operational improvements or possible impacts on their business model. For exactly this purpose BITTMAS project consortium including experts from Germany (Reutlingen University, project leader; IBK – Management Solutions GmbH, International Industrial Consult AG), Austria (Fraunhofer Austria Research GmbH), Turkey (Sabanci University), Spain (GAIA – Association of Electronic and Information Technologies in the Basque Country), Ireland (Waterford Chamber of Commerce) and Romania (SC IPA SA Craiova) developed the BITTMAS solution.

For easing the business transformation and to keep pace with the rapid developments BITTMAS solution supports training and self-driven processes for the required business transformation through employees and managers of SME by providing:
– a video library and glossary to inform and sensitize the users with regard to digitalisation and smart systems,
– the self-assessment DITRASS (working title within BITTMAS project: DigiPotAS) to determine the potentials for process enhancements and new business solutions based on a tailored maturity model,
– online coaching and training modules to learn or to enhance knowledge regarding to 16 digitalisation concepts,
– the self-assessment IMTRASS (working title within BITTMAS project: DigiSuRA) to determine further supporting requirements for digital transformation and
– references and use cases of BITTMAS solution,
– a free entry version of the developed BITTMAS Platform (Release Candidate).
The BITTMAS Release Candidate, consisting of the learning platform, coaching and training modules, a self-assessment to analyse digitalisation potentials and a self-assessment to consider further requirements focused on nine criteria based on the EFQM Model, improves and extends the range of high quality learning offerings for adults and strengthen the key competences in VET curricula. Digitalisation and smart systems do not only appear in the industrial and economic environment but also in the daily social life and the respectively required competencies can therefore be referred to as transversal. The funded 3-year project was successfully completed by public launch of the BITTMAS platform in August 2019.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 337063,22 Eur

Project Coordinator

HOCHSCHULE REUTLINGEN – TECHNIK-WIRTSCHAFT-INFORMATIK-DESIGN & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Fraunhofer Austria Research GmbH
• WATERFORD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
• SABANCI UNIVERSITESI
• SC IPA SA
• IIC INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIAL CONSULT GMBH
• IBK MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
• ASOCIACION DE INDUSTRIAS DE CONOCIMIENTO Y TECNOLOGIA – GAIA – EUSKALHERRIKO EZAGUTZA ETA TEKNOLOGIA INDUSTRIEN ELKARTEA