Digital transformation requires continuous skills- building for EU|BIC staff and consultants

Author: Alvaro Simon de Blas, CEO, EU|BIC Euronova

Since 2018, we have established an EU|BIC Euronova Company Hall of Fame, with more than 12 companies nowadays, each one has created more than 100 highly-qualified jobs, set up an industrial manufacturing plant or has reached an international presence

At EU|BIC Euronova we currently have 41 incubated companies, 65% of which could be considered in the area of expertise related to Industry 4.0. As a recognition, since 2018, we have established an EU|BIC Euronova Company Hall of Fame, with more than 12 companies nowadays, each one has created more than 100 highlyqualified jobs, set up an industrial manufacturing plant or has reached an international presence.

To keep up with the changes that lay ahead, our vision at EU|BIC Euronova strongly acknowledges the importance of continuous training for our consultants. To keep up to date with the different changes that might be faced in their jobs and the upcoming needs brought by companies working in or with Industry 4.0 technologies. Our consultants have a direct connection with the companies so that they can understand the needs, tutor, and mentor them at best in the development paths the companies must take. These processes are carried out while the company is in the EU|BIC and are much more recurrent in the early stages of start-ups. Finally, the BIC Euronova business support team is prepared to be able to advise the companies commercially, helping and accompanying the companies in their communication through different business networks available within the EU|BIC, as well as offering and advising them in identifying public and private funding.

Vision on rapid technological change and support to innovative companies in digitalisation processes

The year 2022 will be a disruptive year for information technologies and digitalisation. And, more than ever since the 1990s with the Third Industrial or Computer Revolution, ICT will have a positive impact on the economy, business, society, customs, habits, behaviours, norms, and laws. It will happen in the West (Europe, USA) in one way and the East (Asia, China) in a different way.

Key business support steps

From our point of view, while bearing in mind that the initiative has to start from a very initial phase, we acknowledge four main steps:

1. Virtual incubation, in which the company begins contacting the EU|BIC, grasping and starting to understand its
   working methodology and installing itself in the innovation ecosystem that surrounds it.
2. Training and advice on the development of the company begins, together with EU|BIC consultants, intending
   to start the growth and development of the company.
3. We could consider the physical installation in our incubator located in Malaga Techpark, to have more direct
   and close contact with the company, and to continue with the advice.
4. Finally, it would be the incorporation into our commercial networks and identification financing.