«We are witnessing a change that is happening very quickly and from which small companies cannot be left out. Digital transformation requires time and investments, so MIA Lombardia comes to support small businesses in this process.”
Thus the President of Cna Varese, Luca Mambretti introduced the presentation of the Manufacturing Innovation Alliance network which took place on 24 June at the Cna headquarters in Varese.
«MIA Lombardia is a network of 12 partners that supports manufacturing companies in facing the challenges of digitalisation – Mambretti explained – The initiative, launched within the scope of European and national industrial policy, is configured as an innovation hub with the precise task of providing “tailor-made” digitalization services for Lombardy companies”.
Because: «We don’t think that small companies are not involved in evolutionary processes such as the use of artificial intelligence – underlined the president of CNA Varese – The European Regulation on AI should soon come into force which, once transposed into Italy, will force entrepreneurs to train employees with basic courses on artificial intelligence.”
The network is different from other entities that accompany companies in the digital transition: « Because MIA Lombardia was born with the aim of accompanying Lombard manufacturing companies in their digital transformation journey – continues Mambretti – and in the meantime the fact that it is a network guarantees a high professionalism of those involved. It is recognized by the European Commission as a Seal of Excellence and financed entirely by PNRR funds. It stands out as a European Digital Innovation Hub of excellence. The network offers a wide range of customized services to meet the concrete needs of local companies, with a particular focus on micro and small businesses. Thanks to the synergistic collaboration of the 12 partners, MIA is able to offer specialized consultancy and customized solutions, even for companies with limited resources and small dimensions, thus facilitating the digitalisation process of small companies and making companies more competitive on national and international markets ».
What is MIA’s approach to SMEs? «MIA Lombardia offers a wide range of services to support companies in their digital transformation, in particular through 5 steps. The first is an assessment of the company’s digital maturity to identify the starting point and outline a personalized digitalization path. A “test before invest” allows you to directly experiment with new technologies before investing. Personalized training allows you to acquire the digital skills necessary to make the best use of new technologies such as Industry 4.0, IoT, Big Data, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing and other digital technologies. Services include the involvement of teams of experts to offer the best support in terms of methodologies and practices. Finally, an issue that is absolutely not negligible for a small business, namely access to financing: MIA is able to guarantee considerable support also for this problem by identifying available national and European tenders”.
MIA Lombardia’s services can be financed with significant state aid, with differentiated intensity based on the size of the company. «We are talking about substantial contributions ranging up to 100% for micro and small businesses, up to 90% for medium-sized businesses and up to 50% for large businesses – they explained in the meeting – MIA Lombardia represents an important opportunity for Lombardy companies that want to reap the benefits of digital transformation. The network offers concrete and personalized support to face the challenges of innovation and improve the competitiveness of companies on the market.”
