€23 Million for the Irish EDIHs strengthens Data2Sustain and ERNACT’s role in supporting digitalisation

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€23 Million for the Irish European Digital Innovation Hubs strengthens Data2Sustain and ERNACT’s role in supporting digitalisation

08 January 2026 - Data2Sustain project

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD, has announced €23 million in additional funding for Ireland’s four European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), ensuring continued support for SMEs and public service bodies in adopting artificial intelligence (AI) and other cutting-edge digital technologies.

The funding will support Ireland’s progression into Phase 2 of the EDIH Programme (2026–2029), significantly scaling up digitalisation efforts nationwide. Over the next phase, the programme is expected to deliver more than 3,000 engagements, 1,100 “Test Before Invest” projects, and over 200 training courses, helping organisations to de-risk innovation and build digital capability.

Announcing the investment, Minister Burke said: “Extending the European Digital Innovation Hub programme in Ireland into Phase 2 ensures that our SMEs will continue to access world-class digitalisation support. Our four hubs have already delivered transformative results, helping businesses adopt AI, automation and sustainability practices.”

Data2Sustain is one of the four national EDIHs, alongside CeADAR, ENTIRE and FactoryXChange. Led by Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Data2Sustain focuses primarily—though not exclusively—on supporting enterprises and public bodies across Ireland’s Western and Northwestern regions, offering technical consultancy, test-before-invest services, business and financial advice, and skills development through workshops and ecosystem events.

Dr Orla Flynn, President of ATU: “ATU is proud to work closely with our Data2Sustain consortium partners to advance digitalisation levels, AI and advanced technology adoption across a broad range of sectors - regionally and nationally. Phase 2 builds on the many EDIH achievements to date and will further leverage the technology and business capacity of the consortium partners to scale high-impact service delivery through 2026–2029.”

Mike Conroy, Data2Sustain Director and Programme Co-Ordinator: “Working across our consortium, the EDIH programme has proven to be a flexible mechanism to complement company or client journeys in digitalisation, AI innovation, advanced technology adoption, and accessing wider business supports. With this Phase 2 support from DETE and Enterprise Ireland, we will evolve and scale our consortium services in partnership with our updated partner network and in collaboration with national EDIH colleagues. We will further increase sectoral relevancy, ecosystem engagement, and regional reach and in particular, strengthen the ecosystem collaboration in enterprise AI skills development and innovation in SMEs, priority sectors, and across the wider region.”

ERNACT is a core partner in the Data2Sustain consortium, playing a strategic role in connecting regional stakeholders, sharing best practice, and supporting public sector organisations to access European networks, innovation supports, and digital expertise.

Commenting on the announcement, Jose Manuel San Emeterio ERNACT Programme Manager said: “This Phase 2 extension offers an opportunity to build on the achievements of the Data2Sustain project. For ERNACT, working in collaboration with other D2S partners, this has meant supporting the digital transformation of public sector organisations through the adoption of advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Extended Reality. It is also important to highlight the significant value Data2Sustain brings to the Western and Northwestern regions by facilitating access to the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) network, which includes more than 200 hubs across Europe”.

The Data2Sustain Phase 2 core partners are Atlantic Technological University (ATU), University of Galway, WestBIC, Advancing Innovation in Manufacturing (AIM) Centre, European Regions Network for the Application of Communications Technology (ERNACT), Údarás na Gaeltachta (UDARAS), and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEO) in the West and North-West. The consortium also works closely with nine associate partners, forming a vibrant regional innovation ecosystem that supports enterprise development and public services.

This investment reinforces ERNACT’s commitment, through Data2Sustain, to driving sustainable digital transformation and ensuring that regional public organisations can fully benefit from emerging digital technologies.

Find out more about the announcement and Data2Sustain:

DETE EDIH Press Release | Minister Burke announces €23 million to extend digitalisation services for SMEs - DETE
Enterprise Ireland and EDIHs | European Digital Innovation Hubs - Enterprise Ireland.
Data2Sustain EDIH | www.data2sustain.ie
Data2Sustain and EDIH Contact | Mike Conroy - Director mike.conroy@atu.ie

Click here to email Maixa Zabaleta at ERNACT for further information

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