Prioritising Digital Hygiene and Digital Transformation for Startups

Wittenborg Research Centre is happy to announce that Wittenborg is a project partner in yet another EU-Commission-funded Erasmus+ project called "Good Digital Hygiene for Startups" (No. 2022-1-LV01-KA220-VET-000086725), known as Project Good Start. Project Good Start is a two-year project, commencing on 1 November 2022 and due to complete on 31 October 2024. Wittenborg as project partner will be collaborating with four other project partners spread across four different countries: Mugla Sıtkı Kocman University (Turkey), Fundacja Eduvibes (Poland), Mathemagenesis Idiotiki Kefalaiouchiki Etaireia (Greece), and eLearning & Software (Romania).

On 30-31 January, Project Good Start officially kicked off with the first in-person Transnational Partner Meeting in Riga, Latvia, hosted by the project coordinator 'Baltijas Datoru Akadēmija' (BDA), or Baltic Computer Academy, one of the largest IT training and certification businesses in the Baltic region. Wittenborg was represented at the meeting by Aydan Ismayilova, EU Project Manager & Junior Researcher, and Myra Qiu, Process & Quality Manager. The meeting involved in-depth discussions and brainstorming between the project partners on the project itself, which aims to support start-ups in acquiring and developing key skills to reduce the 'digital hygiene practices' skills gap in a fast changing world. This meeting also helped the partners to align the project works, address any potential issues and plan the project activities for the next six months.

Members of the Wittenborg Research Centre alongside Wittenborg faculty members and project researchers Adeyemi Banjo and Myra Qiu have commenced initial project research on the digital hygiene of businesses in the Netherlands. Ismayilova comments, "The added value of the project is that through the research and works conducted by the consortium, we will be able to raise awareness on the necessity of basic digital hygiene, especially for start-ups, and hopefully the project will also provide easy-to-apply solutions for staff and student training in the field. The tool to assess the start-ups' readiness level will be the major expected result from the project. In addition, we will conduct extensive field research to collect & understand the needs of start-ups when it comes to skills and the gaps in digital hygiene." Qiu adds, "According to the project research carried out so far, the Dutch government has been a clear driver of digital transformation. The Netherlands has implemented the concept of the 'Triple Helix', which describes the process of an integrated collaboration between the government, industry, and universities."

In identifying the benefits of Project Good Start for Wittenborg, Qiu comments: "Wittenborg is playing a crucial role in linking the academic world with industry applications. The bachelor's and master's programmes offered at Wittenborg feature modules on technology and AI and even a specialisation in Data Analysis, which will contribute to cultivating more talented graduates to fit the job market and enhance societal development." Ismayilova adds that "the field research conducted will also later contribute to the academic research that Wittenborg's Research Centre will deliver, together with our Turkish Partner university as well as with the contribution of other project partners. Thus, with this project we aim to further enhance Wittenborg's support to small companies in the region of Apeldoorn, while collaborating on an international level."  

Project works will continue and the partners will meet online on a monthly basis to update each other and collaborate. Find out more about the progress of Project Good Start and its upcoming activities via the official project website here.

WUP 16/02/2023
by Selina White
©WUAS Press