Digital Agenda Funding

The aim of the project is to:

Identify the key aspects where the public sector can be upskilled and be prepared to lead a new era of digital public services that meet not only the demand from their communities addressing current challenges as long distances and access to markets, but also creating the conditions for the public sector to become the testbed of existing innovative digital capacity from SMEs and higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) area.

Specific objectives are to:

Reaping the benefits of digitisation for citizens, companies, research organisations and public authorities that will take capacity and capability building of the public sector as the cornerstone that should lead into more resilient communities driven by public sector increased innovation capacity.

Donegal, Ireland
ERNACT Network(Lead Partner)
Responsible for leading the management and communications that will support the project’s objectives. ERNACT will share 


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Helsinki, Finland
University of Helsinki(Partner)
UH will bring its expertise as a HEI provider of knowledge, in particular in environmental governance & participation wi


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Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador(Partner)
GNL will work with local stakeholders in East Canada and will bring an important input as a neighbouring region of the N


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Västernorrland, Sweden

ALAV (Partner)
ALAV will be a key partner bringing the vision of a public sector organisation gathering 7 municipalities and also impo

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Capacity Building Programme: for Innovative Digital Public Services in the NPA regions, including the main aspects identified with key stakeholders from public sector, SMEs and HEIs and using previous experience from partners.
Inventory of expertise: to share the knowledge coming from the different partners and other organisations. It will cover the main fields considered (digital technologies, delivery models, procurement of innovative solutions and skills provision).
Innovation capacity baseline: establishment of the baseline in relation to the current innovation capacity from public sector in partner regions to lead digital technology-driven public services. It will serve as starting point to identify the gaps to be addressed in the capacity building programme.

The ERNACT regions focus on adapting and transferring services, approaches or digital knowhow between regions. Please examine the following table to see a list of specific items transferred over the past few years

INNOCAP, or 'Building public sector innovation capacity towards digital-driven NPA' project, aims to increase innovation within public service provision in remote, sparsely populated areas. INNOCAP tackles the challenges and leverages the opportunities of the public sector from a new approach: it covers both the demand and the supply sides of public service provision and assesses not only its role as provider to meet the needs of public service providers are turned intocommunities, but also as promoter and early-adopter of digital innovations facilitators that co-create value and take advantage of the current supply capacity from SMEs and HEIs in the NPA area.