Join us in Turin, Italy, on the 12th of December 2024 for a D4SME workshop co-hosted by the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, and the Competence Industry Manufacturing 4.0 (CIM4.0). This workshop will explore how local competence centres can contribute to national policy goals by facilitating SMEs’ uptake of digital and innovative technologies, driving productivity growth and local development.
Chaired by Valentino Valentini, Deputy Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy and Chair of the OECD Digital for SMEs (D4SME) Global Initiative, the event will gather international stakeholders from OECD governments, industry, business associations, competence centres, and academia.
The full-day in-person workshop will feature:
- A high-level opening
- A plenary session featuring Keynote Speakers
- Three breakout sessions with international experts to discuss the coordination of national policies and local Competence Centres to achieve priority objectives:
- Digital skills: provide digital skills training and mentoring for SMEs, to upskill entrepreneurs, managers and workers, and reduce the digital skills gap with larger firms.
- Smart manufacturing: support uptake of advanced industrial technologies by manufacturing SMEs to improve their operations and strengthen competitiveness (e.g. additive manufacturing/3D printing, virtual twins).
- SME digitalisation for local development: improve the attractiveness of regions and local communities for international investments, retain and develop talent, and create a conducive environment for digital SMEs.
- A closing plenary session where rapporteurs from the three break-out sessions will present and discuss key takeaways.
- On-site visit to the Competence Industry Manufacturing 4.0 (CIM 4.0) in Turin, the national reference center for technological transfer and the diffusion of Industry 4.0 competencies in manufacturing and service industries (a collaborative network comprising Politecnico and the University of Turin, along with 22 partner businesses.
- Evening social event