ERNACT, Interreg partner of the Carpe Digem project, presented us the digital ecosystem of Donegal and Derry on the first day of a study visit to North West Ireland. Representatives from our lab, Nina Cvar and Simona Stojanova, and our stakeholder Janja Viher, introducted to the partners and stakeholders the characteristics of the local digital ecosystems, especially in relation to the so-called cross-border collaborations. They also underlined the importance of taking into account local specificities for a successful digital transformation. The visit to the THRIVE/C-TRIC Centre for Transnational Research and Innovation at the University of Ulster was particularly inspiring. This research and innovation centre, located at Altnagelvin Hospital acts as a state-of-the-art bridge between first-line medicine and cutting-edge science with the aim to develop so-called personalised medicine.

On the second day the study visit focused on in-depth analyses of rural digital hubs as regional development catalysts. The visit concluded at the Colab digital hub, only to be proceeded by the visit to recenlty established Atlanta University of Technology. The day was marked, among other things, by reflections on the intersections between remote working and digitalisation as a catalyst for rural development.

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