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Businesses in the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area will soon be able to avail of a range of initiatives to assist them imbed digital technologies in their business through the new Digital Surge Programme.
The launch of the Programme was attended by Councillor Karen McKevitt and speaking on behalf of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Cathy Mason, she said, “Digital technology advancements can be difficult for businesses to harness in an ever-changing world with many new technologies coming online. Helping our businesses to access the help they need to be more efficient, profitable and successful is a key Council objective. I am therefore delighted that the Council’s new Digital Surge Programme, which is fully funded, will offer practical business support through a range of workshops, masterclasses and bespoke mentoring, all delivered by a range of industry specialists. As a result, participants will develop a plan they will be able to implement into their business and be signposted to more intensive supports in the ‘digital innovation ecosystem.”
The Programme is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland, the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth & Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020) Programme and the 11 Councils. Invest NI is investing £860,000 of support towards the Programme with councils contributing £216,000. The Programme is being delivered by a consortium on behalf of the Council.
Consortium Project Lead, Gillian Colan-O'Leary, said, “We are really looking forward to helping small businesses embark on their digital transformation journey. Businesses which recognise the role advanced transformative technology can play, will increase their growth potential. The Programme will provide the support businesses need to discover how to fundamentally change their operations to deliver value."
Technological breakthroughs in areas from artificial intelligence to robotics can assist a range of sectors. The Programme will help businesses to ‘demystify’ the various enabling digital technologies/tools and inspire ‘active ideation’ through workshops, mentoring, masterclasses and network cluster events. Small and medium sized businesses are eligible to apply in the following sectors: manufacturing, professional services, retail, tourism, hospitality, agriculture, construction and social enterprises.
The advanced digital technology areas being covered by this programme include:
- Smart technologies / smart environments and the Internet of Things (IoT)
- Process automation via robotics / cobotics
- Big-data and analytics
- Immersive technologies (AR/VR/MR/Haptics)
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Distributed ledger systems / blockchain technologies
To find out how if your business can participate, please visit: NMDBUSINESS.ORG
