Agreement signed between MIMIT and the ROME Digital Hub

The long, complex process that brought the R.O.M.E. Digital Hub to full membership of the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) network has finally reached its conclusion.

On 17 July the agreement was signed between our temporary consortium and the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT), making operational the funding decree that finances the strengthening and operational activities of the R.O.M.E. project.

This is excellent news for the businesses and public administrations in our territory: starting in September, the R.O.M.E. Digital Hub will be able to deliver its digital innovation support services entirely free of charge.

R.O.M.E. is a temporary purpose-led association led by Tecnopolo Roma S.p.A. and bringing together a network of 26 excellence partners. Alongside the companies in our Chirale network, Fastal, TCH Sistemi and Blusistemi, the consortium includes research bodies and Rome’s two leading universities, Sapienza and Tor Vergata.

The project began in 2017, in response to the European Community initiative aimed at creating a transnational network of Innovation Hubs capable of supporting and encouraging the digital transition of SMEs and public administrations across member states.

After clearing the national selection stage run by the then MISE, in 2022 our project passed the demanding European restricted tender, earning the Seal of Excellence.

Thanks to this important qualification — which certifies the quality of the project and its services as well as compliance with the strictest European public-procurement criteria — our hub, together with the other Italian Seal of Excellence holders, was designated as a recipient of funds provided under Mission 4, Investment 2.3 of the PNRR, to cover its costs, becoming one of the service providers committed to meeting the Mission’s targets.

For Chirale and the other high-tech companies in our network this is an ambitious and particularly challenging commitment.

The R.O.M.E. project offers a broad and complete portfolio of services that covers every possible need of organisations engaged in the digital transformation of their processes.

The services that will be handled by Chirale include training on every topic connected to technological innovation, plus consulting and pilot project delivery (testing before investing), with a particular focus on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Internet of Things.

Access to these services for companies and public administrations will be straightforward and immediate.

Simply meeting the requirements to qualify as an SME or a public administration will be enough to sign the contract directly with Chirale, acting as a constituent partner of the R.O.M.E. Digital Hub.

The project will be carried out and monitored as a PNRR target, in compliance with the transparency and control procedures established by the Agreement with MIMIT. At its conclusion, the activities will be invoiced to the client as already settled: companies and public administrations will not have to pay the hub any fee or bear any cost, beyond the commitment of their own resources involved in the project.

The total value of the activities that the hub must deliver by 2026 exceeds 5 million Euros.