In July 2020, the DanubePeerChains project was launched. For the next two and a half years until end of 2022, the project will receive funding from the Interreg Danube Transnational Programme. Business Upper Austria – OÖ Wirtschaftsagentur GmbH is the leader of the project consortium consisting of fourteen project partners and five associated strategic partners from the Danube macro-region including the Western Balkans.
The online kick-off event, which is open to the public, starts on October 27th.
ConPlusUltra, in its project partner role, coordinates the preparation of action plans for each of the partner regions and the development of a transnational strategy for the integration of small and medium-sized enterprises in transnational Industry 4.0 value chains. The project budget amounting for 1,784,455 € is granted by ERDF, IPA and ENI funds of the European Union.
Upskilling programme for the integration of small and medium-sized enterprises from the Danube countries into transnational Industry 4.0 value chains
Goals and strategies
In a cooperation between business support and labour market support organisations the DanubePeerChains partnership will develop a programme of support measures for upskilling of small and medium-sized enterprises from the Danube countries and Western Balkans acc. to their development demand to path their way to transnational integration of Industry 4.0 value chains.
How does it work?
Project work starts from the analysis of the potential for transnational value chain integration based on the target sectors, i.e. mechatronics, machine building and plant engineering, electronics, robotics and ICT. Based on the identified development demand of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the partnership will develop an upskilling programme as well as support measures for regional SME target groups. At the same time, first trainings and pilot projects will be launched involving regional companies. Business support and labour market support organisations from all partner regions will exchange experience to tailor the newly developed instruments acc. to SME demand. Project results are further used for the preparation of regional action plans and for substantiating the European Strategy for the Danube Region.
Project coordination: Business Upper Austria – OÖ Wirtschaftsagentur GmbH
The consortium involves 14 project partners and 5 associated strategic partners from 10 countries of the Danube macro-region – from Bavaria and Austria, to the eastern Danube area and Western Balkans:
- Lead partner: Business Upper Austria, Mechatronik-Cluster (Oberösterreich, AT)
- Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (SLO)
- Zagreb Innovation Centre Ltd. (HR)
- ConPlusUltra GmbH (NÖ, AT)
- Pannon Business Network Association (HU)
- National Scientific Research Institute for Labour and Social Protection (RO)
- Romanian Cluster Association (RO)
- Cluster Mechatronik & Automation e.V. (DE)
- R-Tech GmbH (DE)
- School center Skofja Loka (SLO)
- Innovation and Enterpreneurship Center Tehnopolis (ME)
- University of Belgrade (RS)
- Foundation for Innovation, Technology and Knowledge Transfer (BiH)
- Montenegro Ministry of Economy (ME)
DanubePeerChains is a project implemented under the INTERREG DanubeTransnational Programme co-financed by European Union funds.