GENERAL INFORMATION
Initiated by Ecipa (service and training agency of the CNA National Confederation of Crafts and SMEs for the North East regions in Italy), Ecipa Hub provides support to SMEs (mainly small and micro companies) in their digital innovation and transformation.
Mainly focused on IoT, Data Analytics and Cloud Computing, Ecipa Hub cooperates with two main partners, strategically positioned and experienced in the provision of targeted services in the Data field:
• Consultarea Srl: with a proprietary 120m2 data center, it provides storage, processing and data transmission services. It is also an internet services provider, with the property of direct network interconnection (Fiber Optics - FO - and radio); it has also access to LORA network to cover the entire North-East Italy territory;
• 42bit Srl: focused on consultancy, system integration, IT assistance and - above all - on cloud solutions development, it is a strategic provider of digital services, software development, data mining and cybersecurity services.
THE REGION
Veneto (Italy)
THE ECOSYSTEM
Ecipa Hub facilitates the Digital innovation & Transformation of SMEs in cooperation with the key players of the regional ecosystem (i.e. Universities, Competence Centers, Clusters, Industrial players, Research Centers, Science and Technology Parks, Start-up Incubators, FabLabs, Investors, Local Authorities).
Relying on a consolidated network at regional, national and European level, it connects experts and SMEs (mainly small and micro companies), primarily in North-Eastern Italy; the Hub is however always open to offer its services to other types of companies and entities, both in Italy and abroad.
Over time, it has focused on the provision of services mostly in the following sectors: building and construction, energy, manufacturing, crafts, education, tourism, cultural heritage, urban mobility; the Hub is however always open to offer its services to companies and entities active in other fields.
Infrastructures and services
Ecipa Hub’s headquarters are based in Venice.
Ecipa Hub offers both computational services (through Consultarea and 42bit) and non-computational services (through Ecipa, Ecipa’s experts’ network, Consultarea and 42bit), namely:
NETWORK, CONNECTIVITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE:
● Databases: SQL instances (postgres/mysql/MSSQL); NoSQL instances (ObjectDB/MongoDB);
● Data Storage: Block devices/S3-like Object storage;
● Data Centers: Virtual data center and single virtual machines; Main data center near the city of Venice; Backup data center in a private and protected area;
● Local networks management and services; Development of dedicated connections via fiber optics or radio links installation;
● IoT and Sensors networks: IoT sensor interfacing and networking, data centralization, normalization, pre-processing, provisioning.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AND IT SERVICES:
● Software development (nearly all based on the LAMP stack, with the addition of NoSQL databases);
● Data Analytics and Visualization Consultancy: analytic consultancy on structuring and data extraction from several sources (remote sensors, relational and noSqI databases,...);
● Development of custom web-based systems, including web GUI to manage and display large amounts of data; provision of user-friendly Web panels and visual interfaces, to display and present large amounts of data and information about different kinds of data.
CONSULTANCY AND TRAINING, including:
● Digital skills and digital maturity assessment; Skills development activities; Awareness campaigns and demonstration activities; Local Digital Innovation Ecosystem building initiatives;
● Training services (online, offline, concurrent), also through 2 online platforms dedicated to online training (accessible H24, upon subscription);
● Consultancy and training on Data Governance, Privacy and Protection; Advisory services for Data Transfer Agreements, GDPR Compliance; ISO 27001 - Information Security Management;
● Consultancy and training on Data for Energy Efficiency; Waste Traceability; Building Information Modelling;
● Consultancy and provision of services for IT Management of Safety at Work; management of company information in a transparent and secure way;
● Business support services (assessment and mentoring on digitalisation, innovation, entrepreneurship, competitiveness; identification of shortages and challenges, planification); Funding opportunities scouting (EU, national, regional, and private); Technical assistance in proposal development process; Networking among stakeholders/ potential partners; Support in identifying channels, structure contacts and collaborations intended to knowledge-transfer, etc.