The Government of Catalonia has received a total of 29.3 million euros from European recovery funds to finance three projects in the RETECH programme, whose aim is to structure regional initiatives for digital transformation and specialisation within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (RTRP). The three projects to be implemented in Catalonia with the funding are the “Xarxa de hubs d’IA” (AI Hub Network), “Salut Digital intel·ligent” (Smart Digital Health) and “TechFabLab”, for which the Government has received €16.6 million, €3.7 million and €9 million, respectively, to carry out the corresponding actions between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2025.

Boosting the AI ecosystem

The aim of the “Xarxa de hubs d’IA” is to create a leading Europe-wide artificial intelligence network to improve technological capabilities by implementing driver projects. In this regard, the actions planned as part of the initiative seek to attract the private sector and boost public-private partnerships. They focus on generating business talent in the field of AI through training and the creation of educational programmes and pathways to develop and raise the visibility of products, services and tools offered by this technology.

The project, led by Catalonia and with the participation of the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands, has a total budget of 29 million euros and aims to foster social and territorial cohesion by creating AI-based solutions to develop economic growth, promote an ecosystem of collaboration and innovation to seek alliances between the scientific and academic communities, and encourage the start-up community to carry out projects based on this technology.

Digital transformation in assistive robotics

The “Salut Digital intel·ligent” project, in which Catalonia is participating together with the Valencian Community and Murcia, aims to accelerate the process of digital transformation in the field of assistive robotics and sensorisation, with the aim of creating a data space from which to design better products and services for companies in the health sector.

The project has an overall budget of 6 million euros, which will be used to promote new solutions for the field of ageing and strengthening the autonomy of the elderly to optimise the healthcare system and generate opportunities to develop the regional business fabric. It doing so, it aims to generate an environment to develop and create assistive robotics and its AI-based software on a local scale, involving companies operating in the region.

Reducing the gender gap in ICT

The “Tech FabLab” project, in the RETECH line of measures to boost the digital entrepreneurial ecosystem, has a total budget of 42 million euros and includes Catalonia, Navarre, Cantabria, Aragon, Valencian Community and La Rioja, which is leading the project.

Catalonia’s proposal in this project focuses the field of strategic action on women’s digital entrepreneurship, as it is based on the Government’s DonaTIC Plan. With the end goal of reducing the existing gender gap in ICT due to the lack of women in the sector, and even more so in technical and managerial positions, the initiative involves actions to promote women’s access and development, giving visibility to female talent and fostering female leadership and digital entrepreneurship.